Things to Understand
by ShadowBat48
Summary: Six months after the realization that she had been made into a superhuman teen by an evil scientist Mac, Tori tries to understand her past, present and her changed future. Not only that but she learns that her ancestry is not only linked to Tim Drake. Tori will find that belonging isn't just learning the truth, it's learning who you are meant to become. Sequel of Things To Remember
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hiya! For those that have read my first story, Things to Remember, this is the continuation of Tori Crowne's tale. I've upped the rating because this story will get a little...dark, so just as a warning. I might not even had to have upped it, I just did it to be safe. Any questions or concerns please feel free to PM moi.

Disclaimer: I only own Tori, none of the Batman characters are mine.

Enjoy!

P.S: I'm posting two chapters for today since it's the start of a new story. A celebratory start!

Chapter: 1

/ / /

 _"Okay Tori, I'm going to show you some pictures and you're going to tell me if you've seen these people before," a nice woman in a white lab coat stated. Tori, who sat across from her nodded mutely. Her head ached, right at the temples. She didn't know why her head hurt, or who this woman was, but that was okay. They said they were trying to help her and they didn't seem to be doing anything wrong. Even moving her head hurt, her short hair, barely tickling her shoulders hung free and wavy. Smiling the woman held up a picture. In it was a little boy with light brown hair and green eyes. He was smiling at the camera, "Have you seen this boy before?" the lady asked. Tori frowned, scrunching her eyes. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought she heard the sound of a child laughing,_

 _"No, never," she murmured, uncertain by the sound of laughter and joy. The woman beamed,_

 _"Now what about these people?" she held up another photo, this time filled with six people, no seven…but the seventh person was blurred out of the photo…Tori felt like she knew all those people but couldn't quite place it,_

 _"Nope," Tori said. The woman smiled and looked back at the man in the tan colored trench coat and black hat,_

 _"Success Mac, she has no clue,"_

 _"No clue about what?" Tori asked, concerned…should she have known those people, and if she did…how was it a success that she didn't remember them. For the first time since she woke up, Tori felt afraid. Mac, trench coat guy, stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall of the pristine white room,_

 _"Nothing you need to worry about Tori. You are a very remarkable person. Someone who can change the world, we just need to make sure you're up to date," he made her sound like an iPhone,_

 _"But who were those people?" Tori asked,_

 _"No one you need to worry about," the woman said, "Now come, we need to test some things,"_

 _"Test?" Tori asked, the back of her neck prickled, like goosebumps,_

 _"Nothing too strenuous," Mac said with a gleam Tori didn't like in his eyes, "We're about to change the world—,"_

Tori woke up with a gasp, sweat trickling down the side of her face and the back of her neck prickling at the memory. That was what the dream had been: a memory. A remnant from her time with Mac, a man who stole her step-father's research in the attempt to create superhuman soldiers. A man who kidnapped children and experimented on them with bionics, computer chips implanted into their nervous system in the hopes that they fuse as one with super-powered results. Tori had been one of those kidnapped children, she'd been the only one who'd survived, and she'd been the only one that they'd kept. She eventually escaped, though her memories were lost, she found her way back to Gotham, and back to her home. Once she returned, she discovered many secrets about her life and family.

Tori found out she had a half-brother, Timothy—Tim—Drake who spent his nights saving the citizens of Gotham, and after the brutal murders of her mother, her other step-father and Jess—the Crownes' nannie—Tim and his family were letting Tori live with them. Her other family was with their uncle in London. She separated herself from them to keep them safe from Mac, who proved his reach was far greater than his secret little lab.

Slowly but surely her memories have been returning, thanks to the lack of brainwashes from Mac, but there was still a whole chunk missing that Tori was afraid would return. She feared and wanted the accursed memories back. They'd come back in quick bursts or flashes, or long montages that vanish as quickly as they started…or they'd come back as dreams.

Blinking panicked tears out of her eyes she reached blindly for the lamp at her bedside table, turning it on and she grabbed her phone. Unlocking it she scrolled through her pictures. She stared intently at the screen, swiping through each one saying over and over again:

"Ali. Cameron. Liam. Grant. Mom. Max. Peter. Tim. Stephanie. Dick. Barbara. Bruce. Alfred. Damian. Jason, Jess," she would never forget her friends and family again. She would use her new found super-speed, strength, hearing and heat-vision to stop Mac, or she would rid herself of the chip that gave her the abilities and live a normal life…and then, then maybe she could tell her other family the truth. Give them the true reason why she stayed behind in Gotham while they left for England with their step-father's uncle.  
When her heart beat calmed she turned out the light and listened to the rain pelting the windows, waiting for sleep to find her again. Praying it would be dreamless sleep.

A/N: hope you like that, second chapter next and a new chapter next monday!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Second installment! I am so excited for this second story! It will definitely be longer than the last story and I have so many ideas that I can't wait to start writing them down!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 2

Sunlight filtered through the drawn curtains of Tori's room. Scrunching her closed eyes she groaned as the light hit her face. Rolling over she opened her eyes, it was another day in this strange silent house. Wayne Manor was large. It was huge in fact. You couldn't hear anyone on the stairs in the morning or smell the pancakes cooking on the stove up on the floor where Tori's room was. She could barely hear Titus barking in the mornings either. Not only that but unlike the penthouse Tori had apparently grown up in, Wayne Manor was not in the city. It was a few miles away and there was no traffic to be heard of. It was uncanny that she lived here now.

Tori sighed, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, the chandelier that hung overhead twinkling in the sun's beams. She didn't even know what time it was and she didn't care. It was summer, it had been six months since she had decided to live in Wayne Manor with her half-brother Tim, it had been six months since she discovered she was a bionic human with the powers of a small army, and it had been six months since her mother, step-father and nannie had been murdered because of her. Tori groaned and turned onto her side, she hated thinking of that night. It was her fault, they had even left a note telling her it was her fault…yet Mac said no one in his lab had laid a hand on her family. So who killed them? Who had he hired?

Grumbling at herself for thinking of such depressing thoughts she turned onto her back again. She instead thought about school. It was starting again in a couple of weeks and she was nervous she wouldn't be able to control her new found powers while there…especially since all of Gotham knew she was the daughter of Maud Crowne and Jack Drake. The city had been in an uproar at the announcement that her Crowne siblings would live in London with their uncle but Tori would remain in Gotham. Many news shows wanted an interview but Bruce, thankfully, turned them all down for her. She did not want to talk about her family's secrets or truths, not yet, not when the pain of their loss was so new.

Yet it didn't seem new. It didn't seem true either. Tori either didn't feel pain the way the others did or because of her memory-loss, she didn't remember loving the people who raised her…if that even made sense. She had been upset only because it was her fault the lives of three people had ended. All her memories were like movies to her. She remembered them, she remembered what was said, why it was said, when it happened but she doesn't remember how she felt in that moment. Sure, she remembered being scared when Mac had her but those were recent memories, not ones when she'd been twelve or younger. Many memories were still missing and some that she had thought were in the right order were actually in the wrong place, her head was more jumbled than a Rubix Cube.

Tori often wondered if this made her a horrible daughter. She didn't grieve, she'd barely cried and she just wanted to understand and learn to control her powers…not mourn her lost family like Bruce and everyone else suggested she'd do. Some days it hit her that her true mother was gone, same as the nannie she loved; but Max was a different story, she didn't remember him as well as she should have and because of that she didn't mourn him at all. Some days the grief was so crippling that she didn't move for hours before she realized she was only upset because it was Mac who took them from her…it was only her running away that put them in danger. She truly missed them, but her anger for Mac was the only emotion she could really feel at the moment and she associated it with her pain.

Sighing, Tori leapt out of bed and super-sped to her bathroom. A nice hot shower, ten times quicker with super-speed and she sprinted out of her bed room and to the kitchen below. Zipping into her seat she smiled at Alfred as he placed her plate in front of her. Glancing down she looked at it in confusion,

"What's that face for?" Dick asked, walking into the room, his workout shirt sweaty with a towel on his shoulder. He snagged his plate and took a seat next to her. Everyone was still trying to bring the baddies that escaped from Arkham back to their cells from six months ago. They were in hiding, lying low until the heat died down and they could wreck havoc again, it was a vicious cycle. Dick's dark blue eyes looked at her plate, a question clear on them before he finally realized why she was making a face, "You didn't know?" he asked mutely, putting his fork down. Tori, still looking at the plate, numbly shook her head,

"I didn't realize…I mean I knew I was ten months younger than Tim," she mumbled. Her breakfast was pancakes, nothing strange there, but in strawberry syrup Alfred had artfully written 'Happy Birthday Tori' in neat cursive, "I didn't even remember my own birthday," she was seventeen today and didn't even know it. Grimacing she pushed her plate away,

"Tori," Dick said, giving her a weathered look, "you, out of all of us, need to eat,"

"I'm not hungry," she muttered. Dick sighed,

"I know what you're going through,"

"No you don't," Tori snapped her face hard, though she softened it at the hurt look Dick gave her, "You didn't lose your memories of your parents before losing them for real," she reminded him,

"I thought you got them back," Dick said, munching on his bacon,

"I did…but once you break a vase, it's never the same no matter how accurately you put the pieces back together," Tori said, ignoring Dick's frown, "Where're Tim and Damian?"

"Downstairs trying to kill each other," Dick said, rolling his eyes, "I'll never understand why they hate each other so much,"

"Probably the same reason you hated Jason so much when he first came here,"

"As someone who did not know of that until recently you have no right to give your input on that event,"

"Whatever, I'm going down. Bruce wanted to test some things…again," Tori said, rolling her eyes. Bruce had been trying the equipment they'd stolen from Mac's lab to better understand the chip, how it was used, how it was made and if it could be removed. Tori, being the only surviving…experiment—it was hard to come to terms with the fact that she was indeed an experiment—she had to fill in as the test subject. Tori didn't mind really. Bruce was trying to help her get back to her family in London, even if she did desire the nightlife in Gotham more than the dreary London boring nights, not trying to use her to create an army of super soldiers. He wouldn't let her become a vigilante, no matter if she trained or had powers. He didn't trust them or her control, which was understandable. Plus, Mac had hinted that the chip could give her powers even he didn't know of.

They had all been working tirelessly on the machinery from the Lab. Bruce, Damian and Dick had been taking apart and piecing together many of the devices to understand how they work and what they are used for. Tim had set on hacking into the damaged computers to see what Mac had been trying to hide. It was bitter work, physically and mentally draining for everyone. Even with all hands on deck and Tim and Tori's combined mental capabilities—something that Dick claimed had to be genetic—they still hadn't made a dent in solving the computer mystery, "Tell the Boss man I'll be down again in a few minutes!" Dick called said to Tori as she heaved herself out of the chair she made her way to Bruce's study.

Tori was halfway over to where Tim, Bruce and Damian were hunched over the re-assembled devices from The Lab when,

"You're late," Bruce said,

"I didn't realize there was a scheduled time," Tori muttered, "What have you got?"

"This appears to be a device that can alter the Chip," Tim said, pointing to a crude looking neck brace,

"Alter but not remove?" Tori asked, picking it up and looking at it. It didn't looked like anything special, just a regular brace they use when transporting a patient from an ambulance to a hospital or vice versa, but on closer inspection Tori could see the delicate, elegant and advanced tech inlaid on the sides of the collar,

"Yes, I don't think Mac would make it that easy," Damian stated. Tori tried not to wince at the mention of Mac,

"What about the others?" Tori asked, gesturing to the computer and the whole desk they took from The Lab,

"The desk itself is a computer," Bruce stated, "A CyberDesk of sorts. We have yet to hack into its contents, but it's sophisticated. We don't have anything like it, though it does operate with holographic components like the computer in this cave. All in all we can use it when we use the brace,"

"And the computer-computer?" Tori asked, ignoring Damian's face at the double use of the word 'computer',

"We are closer to hacking into the computer, not completely there, but closer. Afterall you did destroy the thing," Tim stated. Tori nodded not at all ashamed at what she did, it saved her from getting her memory wiped again. Looking at each of the many devices they took, some were sitting dismantled on the work benches and others were tossed aside as un-repairable,

"Then let's do it," Tori said,

"Let's do what?" Tim asked confused,

"Let's see what these things can do," Tori replied, snapping the collar on around her place. The metal felt cold and weird against her skin and the back of her neck, where the chip was, tingled strangely. Suppressing a shudder she ignored it and instead focused on the shocked face of her half-brother,

"What do you mean 'let's see what these things can do?'" Tim demanded, "We can't just strap you into this thing, press a few buttons and see what happens? You're not a lab rat!"

"No, I'm not," Tori agreed, "but I am a teenaged girl with unwanted abilities with a mad man set on turning me into a super soldier to wreck havoc on the world. This may be one of our only shots at shutting these abilities off and if I have to spend a few hours of my day as a lab rat to do it then so be it," Tim looked at her blankly for a second,

"Okay," was all he said, having no response to that and motioning for her to step to the center of the cave. Dick had come down at some point and was asking Damian what was going on,

"So…um…what are you going to do?" Tori asked, standing somewhat awkwardly in the center of the cave. She looked over at Bruce, who stood over the computer table with Tim at his side, Damian and Dick were on either side of them (Damian as far away from Tim as possible),

"We'll start out simple and slow," Bruce said, "I'm pressing the super-speed icon,"

"Correction, what he hopes is the super-speed icon," Dick stated, earning a glare from Bruce. Tori gulped, trying not to look nervous as Bruce pressed the icon on the table. She suddenly felt a small zap of electricity spark in the brace, right over where her chip was. Without meaning to she yelped out loud,

"Tori? Are you okay?" Tim asked worriedly,

"Yeah, just a small shock. I wasn't expecting it," she said. Silence filled the cave, "Was that supposed to do anything?"

"Turn off the ability maybe?" Tim suggested, no one knew what everything was meant to do, "Try running," Tori nodded and took a step. She flew across the room faster than she ever ran before and too fast to stop from slamming into the cave wall. Tori rebounded off the rocky surface with a yelp and collapsed onto the cave floor, her head throbbing,

"Turn my super-speed off huh?" she groaned, eagle spread…her chest hurt too,

"Okay…that button sped it up beyond her control," Bruce said, writing it on a sticky note and placing it over the button. Tori could hear Dick and Damian snickering,

"Are you okay?" Dick finally asked,

"I think…I think I'll just lie here for a little bit," she said, her ribs ached from the body slam and she was still struggling to catch her breath. Dick got up from his spot and grabbed some of the landing mats from the gymnastics training area and put them over the cave wall she ran into,

"This way it'll be softer next time," he said, smiling kindly down at her,

"Is it too late to reconsider the lab rat thing?"

"Just a bit," he replied, grabbing her hands and helping her to her feet. Tori, shaking out her limbs to make sure nothing was broken, walked back to her spot in the center,

"Okay, we're still dealing with your super-speed ability, this time with a different button," Tim said, pushing one. This time Tori was ready for the small spark of electricity,

"Any guesses as to what will happen?" Tori asked, no one answered, "Should I run?"

"Yes," Bruce said, "we need to know what these icons mean and what they do. The only way to test that is through you,"

"Yay, I'm the test dummy," Tori muttered before taking a step forwards. Instead of lurching forward like usual, she super-sped _backwards_ into the wall opposite of where Dick was, this time at her normal super-speeding speed. It still hurt though. Dick was hysterically laughing, clutching his stomach. He seemed to feel bad about it but couldn't keep himself from doing so,

"How the fuck is that even possible!" Tori yelled from her crumpled position on the floor,

"Two dollars to the swear jar!" Damian crowed, moving some more mats to the wall she just crashed into. Tori was about to snap that this wasn't her family so she didn't need to do the stupid swear jar before she thought better of it. Tim was her family and these people were his family who were allowing her to stay with them. She knew them from before too, she just didn't remember them as well as she'd like. Getting up and grumbling to herself she stood in the middle of the room again. Tim stared apprehensively at her,

"We could stop if you want to," Tim said,

"No," Tori said, rubbing the back of her head, "No pain, no gain," she said, trying to sound upbeat about it, but probably failing miserably,

"Okay," Tim sighed, as Bruce wrote out another stick note and placed it over the computer table, "This one looks promising," he said, firmly pressing the button. The zap came and Tori took a breath, ready to take a step when Tim called out,

"Wait, hold on!" Tori froze, "Super-speed isn't showing up under the list of your abilities we are receiving from your chip!"

"So you're saying it's gone?" Tori asked, half whispering in shock. Tim nodded,

"Try running," he said. Tori complied and to her shock, ran like a normal person,

"Oh my God! I'm running like a normal person!" Tori cried, smiling widely, feeling completely overjoyed. She ran in a small circle, waving her arms around as she went. She was on her way to becoming a normal teen again, smiling with her eyes closed she reveled in the amazing feeling of normalcy. Until an icy feeling spread through her and her ears popped weirdly. The last thing she heard was Tim saying, "What the—," and suddenly Tori was splayed out on her hands and knees nearly blinded by the sunlight coming through the kitchen window,

"Oh my!" Alfred's voice exclaimed as he nearly dropped the plate of cookies he had in hand. Tori blinked up at him,

"How the hell did I get up here?" she asked,

"I don't know, one second I was up here alone about to bring these treats down, the next you were here, as if a shadow congregated and dropped you off here,"

"Oh shoot, I need to go back before they think something horrible happened to me!" Tori shouted,grabbing the cookies and scrambling down to the cave. She sprinted to the office and ran down the steps nearly three at a time, barely celebrating the fact that it was at a normal speed,

"I'm okay!" she cried, "the weirdest thing just happened. I was standing here one moment the next I was upstairs in the kitchen!" she exclaimed. Tim, Dick and Bruce looked relieved while Damian was looking at the table thing,

"It says 'geo-leaping' where super-speed used to be,"

"What's geo-leaping?" Tori asked,

"I guess it's kind of like teleporting," Dick said,

"So we switched one ability out for another?" Tori asked,

"Apparently,"

"Should we keep pressing the button in hopes we get a blank and you receive no ability?" Tim asked,

"No, we will not continually give her new abilities on the false hope she will eventually receive none, nor will we grant her one ability after another which she cannot control. Since she has some control over her strength and heat-vision, we should leave the other ability as it is. We don't want her over-powering if possible," Bruce said, "We'll wait until we hack into the computers and reassemble the other devices. In doing so we may figure out a way to remove the chip entirely,"

"So, we're done?" Tori asked, relieved. Bruce nodded and she took the brace off, giving it back to him, "What did it look like when I geo-leaped?" she asked Dick,

"It looked like you turned into this black particle substance, almost like a shadow," he replied,

"How appropriate," Tori said, snickering slightly, "Now all I need is a cape to add a Dracula disappearing effect,"

"Yeah! The thugs would be like 'she disappeared!' Only you…just teleported…which I guess is the same as disappearing." Tori laughed as she marched up the stairs with her brother, Dick and Damian. Maybe the circumstances and situation weren't ideal, but it was nice to get to know Tim and his family. It was nice to be included in something that had a purpose, something that she could contribute to…if Bruce would let her.

A/N: New ability! Okay so a little family dynamic with the Batfamily plus Tori, a lot more of that coming up! Hope you like this story as much as the old one! REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And now after a week long wait we have another chapter! Yay!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 3

Later that day Tori was surfing through the internet trying to find the perfect gift for Stephanie's birthday in October. She couldn't believe they were all finally turning eighteen…too bad Tori would have to wait until next August. Her brother—half-brother—Liam was taking a gap year before going to any college. He deserved the year off, especially after her big reveal about her true parentage and the death of their nannie Jess, mother and step-father. Tori hadn't spoken to her family in a few months…they hadn't even tried to contact her on her birthday. She tried not to let that get to her…not only that but besides Alfred, Dick was the only one who mentioned her birthday. Maybe the Batfamily didn't do birthdays? Tori didn't know. Switching her focus back to her laptop she moved the mouse over the FaceTime icon and wondering if it would be too ambitious to make a call on her family in London herself, she was interupted by a knock on her door,

"Tori?" Tim asked poking his head in the room,

"Yes?" she asked, sitting up more on her bed and looking over at him,

"Are you busy? I could come back later," he asked, starting to leave,

"No," Tori said, glancing down at the icon before shutting the laptop, "I'm not doing anything…just surfing the web,"

"Great, we were going to go school supply shopping," Tori groaned,

"Why can't I just be home-schooled?"

"Because that wouldn't be fair to Damian, who after being home-schooled since coming to the Manor, is being forced to go to school,"

"Really? You're letting an eleven year old assassin go to Gotham Academy? He'll get kicked out in a day,"

"Well Bruce thought it was time. Alfred probably has more important things to do than teach the brat anything,"

"Whatever you say. Let's just get this torture over with," she replied leaping off her bed and out the door passed her brother, who gave her a grin. Rolling her eyes she started down the stairs and moved to the hallway only to be stopped by the rest of the Batfamily, Stephanie included, holding a grand birthday cake with seventeen candles on it. She stopped eyes wide,

"You really thought we forgot your birthday?" Tim asked, stopping next to where she stood in shock,

"Please, if Pennyworth remembered, we remembered," Damian snorted, rolling his eyes with his arms crossed,

"You need to make a wish," Stephanie said excitedly,

"Could you hurry up? This thing is heavy," Dick said with gritted teeth,

"Oh shut up Wing-Nut," Barbara said, smacking his arm playfully,

"Why are you crying?" Tim asked, frowning, "Was it too soon to actually celebrate anything..or—," he stopped talking as she shook her head,

"No, it's not that…I'm…it's just—I'm happy," was all she said, wiping the tears off her face, "I still don't remember a lot about my family or even you guys…but I feel whole when I'm here. I'm not saying I don't love the other half of my family but I don't know…I just feel really happy and it's so much better than being so alone and upset like before," she said before squeezing her eyes shut, making a small and secretive wish before blowing all the candles out,

"But we still really need to go school shopping…it starts in a week," Tim said,

"Tim! Don't ruin the moment!" Steph scolded, "Do you want a corner piece Tori?"

"I do…that's not chocolate right?" she asked. Tori absolutely hated chocolate and had no idea why…she just did…she actually hadn't eaten chocolate since appearing in New York City,

"We took the hint, there's no chocolate promise," Steph said rolling her eyes. Then, after everyone got a piece, they all sat down in the living room and chatted,

"I remember when Tim first found out you were his sister," Dick said, "He came running through the manor to the lab with your hairbrush in his hand,"

"Oh my God really? You stole my hairbrush?" Tori exclaimed, glaring at her brother,

"I was in shock! I thought all my relatives were dead!" Tim said in his defense,

"He scanned the bloody thing three times too," Damian said,

"Hmmm, you'd think you didn't want me to be related to you," Tori mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully,

"Not at all," Tim assured her,

"I'm kidding," she said, smirk in place,

"I have to say you two do look a lot alike," Bruce mused, "Dark hair, blue eyes,"

"We all have dark hair and blue eyes except for Jason and Damian," Dick said around a mouthful of cake,

"Speaking of Jason, where is he?" Tori asked, "Why wouldn't he come for this?" silence reigned, "Did I say something?" she asked,

"No…it's just that…Jason's a difficult topic," Stephanie said,

"He's not exactly on good terms with Bruce…but he's on better terms with some of us more than others though," Barbara said, smiling slightly at Tori,

"Oh…that's good…I guess. What happened?"

"Well…that's his story to tell. He came back eventually after what happened to him, but when you 'died' he left again,"

"What! I caused him to leave…why?" Tori asked, worried she had ruined another family due to her abduction,

"No! No, not like that!" Dick assured her,

"It was more the fact that I brought you in on what we did at night and you got sucked in," Bruce said, "And as a result, you got hurt,"

"Did Jason get hurt because of what you all do at night?" Tori asked, silence again, "Let's not talk about this, we need a new topic of conversation,"

"Oh! I have one!" Stephanie gushed, "PROM!" everyone, including Tori groaned as they got into an argument about whether prom was actually worth going to and how annoyingly expensive tickets were, Bruce actually got up and left at one point because he gave absolutely no fuck to what was being said. Tori's mind was still centered on the topic of Jason though. What had Dick meant by on better terms with others of their little 'clan' than most? And why did he leave his family a second time…let alone a first time after she disappeared? Trying not to dwell on this she focused her attention to the current conversation. She'd get her answers later.

. . .

The next day they did go school supply shopping. It was a painful process since Damian was very adamant to not agree on anything Tori or Tim suggested he buy. Damian really did not want to go to school, but alas, the boss had spoken. Tori still hadn't heard from her siblings in London. No phone calls, no texts, no emails or FaceTime about her birthday. She tried not to let that get to her, but it still hurt.

Tori had also been practicing her geo-leaping, it was a handy trick that got her places fast, even faster than super-speed. Truthfully, her training was more her messing around with the powers the chip gave her since no one knew how to teach a person how to control the powers, Superman was busy all the time and Tori didn't want to bother him. Training was dull. Not only was Tori not included but it was just Damian, Tim and Stephanie now. Dick had gone back to his apartment since the whole Arkham escape had been dealt with finally…well mostly. There was still the Scarecrow and Solomon Grundy to be dealt with. But the fact that Dick left meant that she couldn't practice anything remotely gymnastics or acrobatics related since she was without her spotter,

"This is stupid," Damian muttered, looking at a magnet shaped like an animal in disgust, "I don't see how decorating lockers are vital to educational classes,"

"It's something that allows you to express yourself," Tori said, picking the animal up and tossing it in the cart. Tim was off getting calculators for their AP calculus class. They were doubling on math this year since AP computer science counts as a math, not a science for some reason. Damian was several levels ahead of his grade, but was only placed in the math honors course…which pissed him off,

"It's stupid,"

"You've already said that," Tori muttered, "Think of it this way, you can find plenty of people at the Academy who will agree with you wholeheartedly. You could even be friends with them on facebook,"

"Like I'd spend time with ingrates like them,'

"You sound like a bitter old man," Damian growled at her, "Did you really just growl at me?" Tori asked, glaring at him,

"At each other's throats already?" Tim asked, "We've been here for five minutes,"

"It seems to be a trait we both possess,"

"More like Damian just hates everyone," Tim said, picking up a pile of notebooks and looking through them, selecting a few he liked and then handing the rest of them to Tori,

"I do not, I just don't see why father decided to send me to school!"

"Because you're ten and your friends are a butler and your father," Tori said,

"What are you saying?" Damian asked, tossing a binder in the cart without looking at it,

"You need more social skills," Tim said, grabbing some note cards,

"Yeah hanging out in a—," Tori started before something caught her eye. With a yelp she ducked down behind the cart hissing at Damian and Tim, "Hide me!" Tim gave her a perplexed look,

"Why?"

"Olivia and Zoe," she whispered, glancing through the cart. They were heading in their direction. Damian let out a snort,

"And you think I lack social skills,"

"Shut up, those two are the worst people you will ever meet and they've tortured me since I came back to Gotham. Now hide me!" Rolling their eyes, Tim and Damian stood in front of her so she wouldn't be seen. The two girls completely ignored them as they walked by which was okay by all of them. Standing up she ignored the look Tim and Damian gave her and continued dumping school supplies in the cart,

"They are evil abominations that walk the earth," Tori said,

"Do you even remember why you hate them in the first place?" Tim asked. Tori paused for a second, sorting through her disorganized memories to no avail,

"…no," she said, "But I'm sure it's for a very good and important reason," Tim shook his head,

"You and Zoe had a crush on the same guy. Zoe started a rumor about you, you called her out on it and there was some fight…bam, suddenly you hated each other," Tori stopped walking and frowned,

"That sounds stupid and petty. I'm glad I don't remember," she continued walking down the isle, then stopped, squeezing her eyes closed and groaning,

"You just remembered didn't you?" Damian asked, clearly amused,

"Shut up…yes…thanks a lot Tim," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose,

"Sorry,"

"It's fine…it's just I wish getting my memories back didn't involve headaches or dizziness,"

"Hm…there might be a way to prevent that. Alfred probably has some Advil in the car," Tim said,

"Finally we can leave," Damian said, heading to the checkout counters,

"Yes, but let's hurry, I don't want to see Zoe or Olivia,"

"Seriously, you think my social skills are bad,"

"You already said that and wait till you make mortal enemies in school…then you'll see how bad it is!" Tori snapped,

"It was over some stupid boy!"

"…yeah…but, but—shut up—," Tim shook his head with a laugh while handing the cashier his credit card.

A/N: So a little relaxing and school shopping for these guys. It'll get better, I promise. Next chapter next Monday

REVIEW


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here is another chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Enjoy!

Chapter: 4

The night before school started Tim, Tori and Bruce were picking away at what was left of the computers from Mac's lab. They were repairing the hardware in hopes of being able to recover whatever was in the computers contents. They didn't know what to expect when they got it running again. There could be schematics for the chip, formulas for how the chip actually gives powers to the person it's implanted into, or it could be a dairy for his evil plans,

"For all we know, this could just be some old computer he was hoping to set on fire," Tori muttered, "We could be fixing this piece of junk for nothing,"

"We don't know that and until we do, we need to at least try and fix it," Bruce stated,

"The CyberDesk could hold more information than this thing though," Tim added,

"You just like the CyberDesk and want to play around with it," Tori said, poking her brother in the arm with the screwdriver,

"That is completely true,"

"The Desk is connected to Tori's chip, it only controls that one thing. It has nothing on how the chip functions or how the chip works,"

"So you know that but not what any of the buttons do?" Tori asked,

"At least we know something from that Desk," Bruce said with a shrug of his shoulders,

"Master Bruce, it is getting late. Master Damian and Master Dick have already returned from their nightly regime and have retired for the night. I suggest you all do the same, especially since school starts tomorrow," Alfred said, coming down the steps into the cave,

"Alfred's right, up to bed you two," Tim yawned, stretching his agreement and started upstairs, Alfred right behind him saying something about his uniform's tie being lost in the wash. Tori on the other hand stayed behind. She wanted to ask Bruce about something…but didn't know how to bring it up. Tori didn't really remember what it was like training—if she ever had—or talking with Bruce before her disappearance and it certainly made things a little bit more than awkward now that she was actually _living_ in his house,

"Is there something you wanted to ask?" Bruce asked, still picking away at the monitor,

"Um…yes, there is actually," Tori said, worrying her lip,

"You and Tim do the same thing when you're nervous," Bruce said randomly,

"Huh?"

"Sorry, just something I noticed. What were you going to say,"

"…The deal we made, a year before the whole Mac thing happened…did you look into it?" Tori bit her lip hard as Bruce frowned and put his tools down,

"You know what happened…you remember don't you?" Tori sighed,

"I do. I remember going to the funeral…I just can't believe it was my father's funeral too," just thinking about it made her chest ache at the father she never knew,

"But that happened months before I was taken and years after I came to you with my theory," Bruce nodded before pressing a button on the batcomputer. After that he typed in a code and imagines popped up on screen plus a case file and report. Tori tried not to cringe at the image of Jack's dead body, a Boomerang poking out of his chest,

"Captain Boomerang? So it was an assassination?"

"He was caught and brought to justice," Tori blinked,

"And?"

"And what?"

"No exposure of who hired that criminal to kill one of Gotham's richest people? No desire to know why this happened or even if just throwing him in jail is the safest thing for the people? I mean if this guy gets out again…he's just going to do what he does again isn't he?" Bruce narrowed his eyes at her,

"You are talking about vengeance…not justice,"

"I know those are two different things,"

"Then you should not have said those things,"

"But do you know why this happened? Do you even care?" Tori hadn't meant for it to come out harshly, but it did,

"Of course I care. The reason I investigated this was because I know exactly how it feels to see your parents die. I was there for Tim when he walked in and saw his father on the floor…he was in his father's own blood and I helped him through it all,"

"Tim…Tim was there when it happened?" Tori asked, dread, sympathy and an ache of understanding filling her chest, "I—I didn't know that…or remembered that I guess,"

"Amnesia does that. It messes with what you know is true,"

"These results and findings are all dated after it happened…I thought you looked into this before, after I told you about this,"

"You have to understand, when you came to me about this I thought you were just trying to link two things that happened years apart as a way to understand why your step-father died. You felt that there had to be a reason it happened to him, you conducted a whole investigation on your own based on your knowledge of what happened and you created conspiracies about nothing. I understand that. I did that myself after my parents were murdered, I thought the Court of Owls ordered them to be killed, I even got myself locked in the attic for a week trying to prove it,"

"That old nursery rhyme?" Tori asked, raising an eyebrow,

"Don't give me that look. This is about you," Bruce said, "I didn't research this until after it happened because Tim needed to face what happened on his own and solve this case with his friends and family by his side. Those two murders were not connected Tori. I am sorry to say. Tim's father's murderer was hired by Jean Loring, your step-father was murdered by a mugger. A nameless, faceless man…someone who may never be caught," Tori swallowed, a younger, angrier girl screamed inside her that it can't be true, but she knew Bruce was right. She had seen conspiracies where they didn't exist,

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier…I do know the line between vengeance and justice…I just feel we should do more than just send them to be rehabilitated, we should send them somewhere more secure or something," Tori said,

"I know…I only reacted the way I did because you sounded like someone else who once trained under me,"

"Hah, 'trained' all you've been doing is treated me like a lab rat,"

"If I recall, you volunteered," Tori laughed, then frowned,

"…I've been thinking about Mac,"

"What about him?"

"We can't find him, he probably still has a lot of his tech with him and people working for him and funding him or something like that—,"

"—you're worried he'll created others like you?" Tori nodded,

"Well, we know what to look for now. We'll be prepared next time we face him and we will stop him from killing anymore innocent people,"

"I know," Tori said, "I don't doubt that. I just wonder how he plans to make us be _his_ super soldiers or _his_ army. We don't know his endgame or how he will actually get us, all individual human beings, to do what he created us to do,"

"We will find him. He will not make you into something you don't want to be," Tori nodded. It wasn't a completely reassuring answer, it only ensured that they would try and uncover Mac's plan before he enforces it. Bruce looked up at the screens, a frown tugging on his lips before pressing a button, encrypting the file so that no one but Bruce can access it,

"Do me a favor Tori," Bruce started,

"Yes?"

"Don't mention our deal to Tim. Jack Drake's death still weighs heavily on him, knowing that we might have had a lead—even as far fetched as what you brought me—that could have prevented it from happening, would destroy him,"

"That's a little dramatic, but I won't say anything," Tori said. She would do anything to keep Tim from hurting, physically or mentally—he was family,

"I promise."

A/N: Hmm...so the Court of Owls, or at least the nursery rhyme, exists in this little universe I've created. Just so you guys know I will mostly follow the New 52 plot up to around the Death of the Family. After that it's completely different. Any questions feel free to PM me and REVIEWS are welcome! Next chapter next monday!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yay! Another chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 5

"Tori! We're going to be late!" Tim called up the stairs. Tori rolled her eyes as she stomped out of her room, flinging her satchel bag over her shoulder. Geo-leaping down the stairs she stopped by her brother who was fixing the tie of his school uniform…he must have found it finally,

"Where's Damian?" she asked,

"Master Damian is in the car, as you two should be," Alfred said, opening the door for them. Tim jogged over to the black (as usual) Lexus, groaning at Damian who had taken the shotgun seat. Tori, on the other hand, hesitated at the doorframe,

"How is he so calm about this? Everyone will be swarming us, I can already hear the whispers and glares from behind our backs," she said, fiddling with Maud's golden feather necklace. It was something Maud had left to her when she died. The necklace was a simple thing: a detailed, thin and long feather shaped pendant of gold on a simple chain. It was Maud's elegant style for sure, yet it was an old family heirloom for the oldest daughter to inherit. Tori's great grandmother's mother's mother had given it to her daughter who gave it to Tori's great grandmother who in turn passed it down to her son to give to his wife and the tradition continued moving to daughters when there were some in the family,

"Master Timothy is used to being in the spotlight. It tends to be a given in the Wayne family, you were used to it as well once,"

"Too bad I don't remember it that well,"

"I thought your childhood memories returned Miss Tori,"

"They did…they're just murky," she replied,

"I see," Alfred said, "Perhaps this will raise your spirits. This letter arrived in the mail for you this morning," the butler handed Tori a simple envelop, the return address from London, England. Tori's heart soared, her family hadn't forgotten her! Smiling greatly to Alfred she hurried to the car, steeling herself for the gossip whirlwind she was going to face upon arrival at school.

. . .

"Alfred, can't I just skip? It's been a horrible time for me. Six months is not enough for a recovery period," Tori whined as they pulled up to the front of the high school building. It was the only place for parent/guardian/butler drop-off by car, Damian would have to walk to the middle school building,

"If she gets to skip, I'm going to skip!" Damian stated,

"But then you wouldn't get to prove your superiority to all the students," Tim said, already out of the car, "C'mon Tori, Stephanie is already inside and the bell will ring any minute,"

"I can't do this Tim. I'm not ready for constant gossip about me,"

"Why don't you just ignore it?" Damian asked, rolling his eyes and exiting the vehicle,

"I have super-hearing! I can't ignore them!"

"Since when do you have that?" Tim asked, raising his eye brows,

"Um…a few months ago? Did I not mention that?" Tori asked,

"It would have been useful information," Tim said dryly, "Just get out of the car. You've faced worse things than high school." Tori glanced at the old stone building and sighed, Tim was right, it was just school,

"Okay, fine, you're right," Tori stood and followed Tim to their first period class. The voices, the whispers, chattering on behind them. Tori held her head up high, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction that their words of doubt, hatred and crudeness affected her in anyway. Hate ran like a wildfire, jealously adding on.

The Crownes are a powerfully influential family of Gotham, one that helped build the city to it's current glory. The Drakes were a powerful family as well, the fact that two people, one a purebred Drake and one a bastard of both families existed AND lived under the equally influential head of the Wayne family, pooled power in the hands of Tori, Tim and Bruce as well (though they both knew that Bruce didn't want their fortunes). All their money was locked up until they turned twenty-one so they didn't understand why people hated the fact that they had that money so much. They couldn't do anything with it…not only that but Tori had four other siblings with their own fortunes. All of them were a threat, apparently, only Tori and Tim seemed like a bigger one to all the elites at Gotham Academy.

Tori sighed, grimacing as she started to cross through the door to AP Calculus just as the bell rang. She wasn't expecting the shrilling ring to stab through her eardrums so loudly. Clapping her hands to her ears she shrunk down with a screech,

"Tori?!" Tim cried, pulling her out of the way of other students and back into the hallway. Tori couldn't answer, the ringing was just too loud, she shook her head and silently whispered under her breath,

"Make it stop make it stop,"

"Make what stop?" Tim asked, worriedly. Tori couldn't hear him, she was thrust into another memory, this time wide awake, her brother shaking her shoulders as if he was trying to wake her up.

/ / /

 _This place was not helping her, it was torturing her. Mac did not want to help her regain her memories, he did not want to tell her about her mother or father and he did not explain the scar on the back of her neck. Worst of all he had these tests. Experiments to see if 'it worked', Tori didn't know what that meant, but the experiments were grueling and tiring._

 _Tori looked at the mirrored window where Mac and the lady were, pleading with her eyes to make them stop. This was the tenth time they did this within the half hour, she needed a break which she knew wouldn't come. Her lungs ached and her feet stung from the shocks the floor gave her if she didn't run fast enough,_

 _"Again," Mac's voice sounded on the intercom. Tori sighed in defeat and faced the opposite wall, willing enough energy to complete the obstacle course fast enough that she wouldn't get shocked. A shrill ringing alarm echoed through the room and Tori sprinted off through the maze…like a lab rat. She searched frantically for the exit, knowing the consequence if she didn't complete the maze in time. Her lungs stung for air and her bare feet pounded harshly against the tiled floors. She counted down the seconds as she found a dead-end and turned course to the opposite way. Tori weaved in and out of corridors and trick doors until the bell sounded again. Tori wailed in failure, pounding at the trick door she had just discovered until the shock came. She cried out and fell to her knees, which only made it worse. Gritting her teeth she continued running, her feet and legs shaking at the electric shocks. The pounding of her feet on the electric-wired floor sounded like drums, and she chanted 'make it stop, make it stop' over and over again in her head to each and every beat. She zigzagged drunkenly until she finally found the right door and collapsed on the floor at Mac's feet on the other side of the obstacle course. Shaking and twitching from the shocks,_

 _"I don't understand," Mac said, "She should have developed super-speed by now,"_

 _"Vitals are depleted, if she is to run again she'll need food and water," the woman at the computers said,_

 _"Not until she shows progress,"_

 _"Sir?" the lady asked shocked, "She could die,'_

 _"Half the others died as well, we'll start from scratch if this one turns out to be a failure as well," Tori, on the floor, sucked in a breath of shock…she didn't want to die. She wanted to find her family, the one she was gaining memories of, the one that Mac took her from,_

 _"As you say," the woman replied, resetting the course to a different format. Mac gripped Tori by the hair and opened the door to outside the room,_

 _"Try this time. Try to activate your chip. Actually TRY," Mac growled in her ear, "Or you'll regret it," Tori nodded, gulping slightly. He tossed her unceremoniously to the ground and slammed the door. Tori brokenly got to her feet, limping at the burns she acquired from the floor and waited._  
 _The bell rang again, and again, and again. Loud and unyielding as she ran the maze._

 _/ / /_

"Tori? Tori!" Tim's voice brought her back, his hands were on her shoulders while her's were covering her ears. Slowly she eased her hands away and she realized the bell had stopped ringing,

"What was that?" Stephanie asked, who had ran out of the classroom at Tim's shouts. Thankfully the other students remained in their seats, oblivious to the scene that just occurred,

"Nothing, nothing,' Tori said robotic and breathlessly, "The bell just triggered a memory,"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she said shortly, "Right now I just want to go to class." And that's what they did, though her brother and friend gave her questioning looks throughout the day. Tori ignored them, she kind of wished that moment never happened…she also wished that she could forget what she just remembered.

A/N: School is basically a jungle sometimes. Next chapter next Monday! REVIEWS ARE WELCOMED!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's another chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 6

Tori survived until lunch, she lasted through all her classes up to that time. Lunch was the first time most of the students would be able to freely talk to each other since the summer, and that was when most of the whispers flew. It was a whirlwind of gossip, Tori and Tim at the center of it. Stephanie and Tim just rolled their eyes like they were used to it, Tori felt a magnitude of discomfort from the attention. Don't get her wrong, she was used to the spotlight—at least she was from her memories—seeing as her family is one of the oldest and richest families in Gotham, but she didn't really remember being in the spotlight. Tori wasn't the same person from before, while the old Tori reveled in the spotlight, the new Tori shrunk away from it. Not only that but thinking of spotlights reminded her of headlights from the car that nearly hit her and ran over Penny…so…it wasn't a surprise to Tim or Stephanie when she stepped out for some air.

Tori closed her eyes as she leaned against the railing of the fence around the steps of the school, letting the warm fall day's wind rustle her hair. She could almost pretend that it was like any other year and she hadn't been given strange powers from a mad scientist. Opening her eyes she spotted a familiar flash of red from out of the corner of her eye disappear down an alleyway off the edge of the school. Quirking her lips she followed the red flash, not bothering to tell anyone where she was going,

"Hey!" She called down the alleyway, "If I didn't know better I'd say you were checking up on me," Jason Todd turned to face her with a smirk,

"You wish Princess,"

"Then why are you by my school,"

"I could be checking up on Tim,"

"I thought you didn't like Tim,"

"Believe it or not we've put aside our differences,"

"I don't remember what those differences were," Jason's smirk flickered and formed a frown,

"Yeah, you don't remember much of anything at all as of late," he muttered,

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tori asked, crossing her arms,

"Nothing," he said,

"No, I do know what this is about," Tori said, putting a hand to her chin in a thoughtful expression,

"You do?" Jason asked seemingly shocked,

"It's the reason you never stop by the Manor…or at least you used to live there, then you didn't…then you came back…then you left again after I was kidnapped,"

"We didn't know you were kidnapped," Jason said, kicking the dirty floor with his boot, hands in his pockets, "We thought you were dead,"

"Aw…you do care,"

"It's not like that," Jason said,

"So you wanted me dead?" She asked. Tori meant it as a joke but Jason looked up startled, his green-blue eyes wide,

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"Whoa, I was joking. If not that then what is it?" Tori asked, "What is no one telling me?" Jason looked at her thoughtfully, then to the school,

"Do you really want to know?"

"It's part of my memories, of course I want to know!" Tori snapped,

"And you left the school because people were talking about you behind your back right?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Tori muttered, placing a hand to her forehead,

"Come with me and I'll tell you the big secret story the Bats have been hiding from you,"

"What?" Tori asked, it was her turn to look up at him startled,

"Come. With. Me. To. Learn. Story," Jason said like he was imitating a highly sarcastic caveman. Tori started to crack a smile, and slightly failed since he was initiating the concept of skipping,

"I can't just leave the Academy!"

"You just walked out the front doors!"

"They knew I was going to come back!" she cried,

"No, they assume you're coming back," Jason said, "C'mon, live a little. You don't even want to be there in the first place. Plus, it's the first day, you ain't gonna do shit," Tori bit her lip as Jason straddled his motorcycle and held out another helmet for her to wear. She glanced at the school again but then at the helmet again before cracking a full-blown exhilarated smile and took the helmet. She straddled the seat behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist…trying not to seem flustered by the fact,

"Excellent. This will make Bruce so mad, sure you want to do this? It may be your last glance of sunlight for at least three months" Jason stated,

"I am sure…though on one condition…" she said,

"What?"

"I get to drive on the way back," she said in his ear since the noise of him revving the engine cut everything out, though she could feel the vibrations of his chuckle through his back as they shot like a bullet out into Gotham City.

They drove to a cemetery. Tori was not expecting this, not at all. She did not know why they were there or what this had to do with Jason. He was very mysterious as he guided her through the tombstones. Jason never stopped once to make sure he was going the right way, he knew where he was going. Tori stopped only once, and that was to stare at Maud and Max's tombstones. Jess was buried by her own family. Jason stopped as well, respectfully waiting for her at a distance before coming up next to her quietly,

"I'm sorry this happened," Jason said,

"It's not your fault,"

"It's not your fault either,"

"There was a note—,"

"Whoever killed them left it there to frame Mac. I'm guessing he borrowed money from some powerful people to fund his illegal experiments and they took out his lack of payment on his 'success's' family…or whoever was home at the time,"

"How could you know that?"

"I know organized crime," Jason said shortly, "Also, Mac's left handed, the note was written by someone who's right handed. I guess Bruce didn't mention this at all?" Tori was silent, pondering this new information,

"What does this cemetery have to do with you?" Tori asked, ignoring the buzzing of her phone that was probably Tim and Steph. Jason smiled a dark and crooked smile,

"It has everything to do with me. This place is how I became who I am today, this place is how I became the Red Hood," Tori blinked up at him confused. He didn't say anything else, just jerked around and started walking again until he stopped at a tombstone. It was in a secluded area, under a giant Willow Tree rendered with shadows. As Tori drew near she could faintly make out the engraving on the stone 'Jason Peter Todd,'

"No way," she whispered. Jason stood with his hands in his pockets as far away from the tombstone as possible. He glared at it too,

"It's a long story, but once I was the second Robin," he started. And he went off on his tale. Of his years as Robin, his murder by the Joker, his resurrection, crawling out of his own grave and his reboot from being tossed in these pits called the Lazarus Pits by this woman named Talia Al Ghul (who happened to be Damian's mother—go figure) and his journey to the All Caste, his eventual return home home and re-Christening as Red Hood,

"I have done a lot of horrible things, I still kill people…though not as much as I used to. I came back to the Batfamily, I did better. I was taken in by Bruce when I was twelve and I met you at least ten/eleven months before I 'disappeared' which was when I was fourteen. When I returned for the first time a year and a half before you disappeared, even you didn't think of me, the prodigal son, as a complete monster," Jason paused and Tori felt she should say something to lighten the mood, and give her time to process the new information,

"A bit of a sarcastic ass maybe," she stated wryly, and he cracked a grin which made her feel better,

"You actually said that once,"

"Ha!" she said,

"Does any of this ring a bell?"

"It does. I can feel these things slipping in place. They're still a bit blurry, but they are there," Tori said, glad she wasn't receiving a giant headache from the memories, "Thank you for telling me your story. It must have been hard," Jason shrugged and the silence grew between them, starting to get a bit awkward,

"So…" Tori said, thinking of something they could do to pass the school day hours, "…How do you feel about croissants?" Jason smirked before heading down the path,

"I'll take that as a 'yes Tori, I love them!'?" she called as she dashed after him.

"Okay, so I get that you came back because of the League of Assassins, but did you stay with them?" Tori asked as they lounged in their cafe seats somewhere in Old Gotham. Jason apparently liked to hang around criminal infested and older parts of Gotham. Jason swallowed his mouthful of pastry before answering,

"I stayed," he said shortly. Tori frowned,

"Okay, let me rephrase that, why did you stay?" Jason muttered something too low for her to hear, apparently she needed to work on controlling her super-hearing as well, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I was angry," Jason growled,

"Angry because you came back…or angry at Bruce?" Tori asked,

"What do you think?" he snapped,

"Whoa there tiger, I'm sorry. I know this is hard to talk about, especially a second time around," Tori said, crossing her arms and leaning on them on the tabletop,

"It's alright, I just wish you'd remember everything sooner…it's hard to tell without freaking you out and it's even harder in public,"

"What's going to freak me out?" Tori asked, taking a bite out of her croissant,

"I'm dangerous," Jason said, "when I came back I was unstable…I hurt a lot of people and I still do. Not as much as before but—,"

"It's fine," Tori said, shrugging and rolling her eyes, "Personally I think all crazies should be put down in some way or form or at least be put somewhere more secure… Arkham's a revolving door," Jason smirked again,

"You said that to me as well. I was as surprised as I am now too," Tori laughed which made him smirk…or was it smile?…larger, "You haven't done that in a while," he said,

"What?" Tori asked,

"Laugh," Tori rolled her eyes,

"I haven't really got much to laugh about," she said, "But c'est la vie right?"

"Peut être," Jason replied without missing a beat, "Mais tu ne devriez pas avoir à supporter de tels fardeaux,"

"So you know french?" Tori said, then frowned, "Wait…how do I know french?" suddenly Jason's phone rang, sighing he answered it before looking at her nonchalantly,

"No Tim, I haven't seen Tori. Yeah yeah I know, I owe you. I'll keep my eyes pealed," Jason said before hanging up, "You should call Tim, at least let him know you are okay. Don't give him the scare you gave everyone a year ago, it nearly destroyed him. No, scratch that, it did destroy him. I'm not saying it's your fault, just that you shouldn't punish him for things he can't control,"

"Fine, no need to spare my feelings of guilt," Tori muttered taking out her phones,

"A thing you should know about me, Tor, I don't do feelings," Jason said, suddenly everything faded out. Tori plunged into another memory.

/ / /

 _Tori sat behind the computer screens in the batcave, utterly bored and annoyed at all the bats screeching up on the cave roof,_

 _"Is there any reason you keep the vermin in the cave? I mean you practically live in it," she asked into her headset. Tim, Steph and Dick were on patrol. Damian was benched since even the seven year old son of the bat succumbed to the flu at one point or another. Dick was Batman and Barbara was helping the Birds of Prey as leading IT girl, which gave Tori the perfect opportunity to help them out. Batman, Bruce, had said she could train with them before he—vanished/died? Tim still didn't believe he was dead, Tori didn't blame him especially after what happened to his father—went away, he never said anything about helping through the computers,_

 _"They were there first, we were the ones who invaded their home. It's only right that we let them stay," Dick said to the almost fifteen year-old Tori, who sighed and rolled her eyes,_

 _"You're not the one who had to clean bat poop out of your hair,"_

 _"And you are not the one who must clean said feces off the cave floor every day and night," Alfred said appearing beside her with a tray of cookies and hot chocolate. Tori gratefully took a cookie or two or three off the tray,_

 _"Hey, save some cookies for me!" Tim snapped jokingly, he'd been much nicer than usual to her, she wondered if it was because he thought she felt like a third wheel since he and Steph started dating. Truth be told she didn't feel that way at all, she herself had a secret-sort-of-boyfriend…though she was much more discreet,_

 _"Hmm, maybe if you hurry up and take care of this bank robbery that just popped up on the map," she said, "Sending coordinates now,"_

 _"Check security cams O2, are they armed?" Batman asked. Tori cracked her fingers and started hacking into the buildings security cams,_

 _"No, I think they're mostly knives," she said, the quality wasn't that good,_

 _"You think or know?" Dick asked, Tori gulped, he sounded a lot like Batman…it was uncanny, and slightly frightening,_

 _"K-know," she said uncertainly. Tori was still new at being Oracle 2, she had just started when Barbara realized the Birds needed her just as much as the bats which was only month or two ago. She'd even got to look at unsolved cases…one that stood out to her the most was one about missing school children, she didn't think it was a serial killer…she thought it was much more. Tori had been too busy to look back at the case as of late, but she was close to a breakthrough, she was sure. Dick, Tim and Stephanie arrived to the scene, only to be bombarded by assault rifles,_

 _"I thought you said they only had knives!" Steph cried,_

 _"I couldn't tell, the cameras were blurry!" Tori cried, typing rapidly, "I'm sorry,"_

 _"And you didn't think to enhance the images?" Tim asked, grunting as he grappled to a higher vantage point,_

 _"I didn't think this computer could do that!" Tori snapped back, "there's no one to help, you guys need to get out of there,"_

 _"No, we need to take down these criminals, there is always a way,"_

 _"You are surrounded Dick!" Tori said, "There's no way out of there, you'll get hurt!"_ and it would be my fault _she added silently in her head. Suddenly shots rang out and from the screens, Tori could see that four of the nine men fell over…she couldn't tell if they were dead or not,_

 _"What?" Tori said,_

 _"Hah, and that, Batman, is what you get for having a rookie do a veteran's job," Jason Todd's voice sassed into her head set,_

 _"How did you hack this frequency," Dick asked. They were all on better terms with Jason, the batfamily, even after the events of the battle for the cowl, though they still treaded lightly and Jason still killed,_

 _"Same system Bruce uses every time," he replied,_

 _"Thanks so much for hurting my feelings," Tori snapped, sarcasm dripping from her words,_

 _"Something you should know, kid, I don't do feelings," Jason said, before taking aim and shooting three of the remaining robbers. Tori turned away, biting her lip as the victims screamed and the rest of the bats flew from their perches to prevent anymore death or injuries._

 _/ / /_

"Tori?" Jason asked, he was crouching in front of her, a slightly bemused and concerned expression on his face, "are you going to call Tim or am I going to have to come clean and tell him you're with me so we can get you looked at?"

"W-why would I need to be looked at?" Tori asked, blinking rapidly. She had been Oracle's second in command? She had nearly gotten some of the bats killed (accidentally)? Dick had been Batman? She had a sort of secret boyfriend?

"Because you've been staring at the same spot for the last five minutes, it's concerning,"

"I'm fine. Just a memory. I'm calling Tim," Jason didn't pry, he just paid the bill and waited by the motorcycle for her. Once she was done, since school was almost over he gave her a ride to the driveway of the manor. Tori sighed and started the trudge to the house slowly, only to stop,

"Jason! Wait!" she called before he could drive off,

"What?" he asked, flipping the visor of his helmet up—it had started to rain—,

"You only told me why you left once, not why you left twice," she said crossing her arms, ignoring the cold sprinkle of rain,

"I left again because you joined up with us and got hurt as a result. I was angry at Bruce, he let you die—well I guess you didn't really die did you? But I didn't know that—he failed,"

"He can't save everyone," Tori said,

"Well he should spend more time saving the ones who stand by him rather than the ones who oppose him," Jason said darkly before flipping the visor down and speeding off. Tori watched him go, only feeling a little bit guilty that she sort of agreed with him. After all, hadn't Bruce ignored her plea for insight on the possible hit on Tim's father? Hadn't he just assumed she was dead like everyone else? Aren't the villains less redeemable than the victims they were supposed to save? Shaking her head of those thoughts she turned her attention on a more concerning matter: she looked mournfully up at the manor, she was in so much trouble she could feel it.

A/N: Just some translations for the French section of this chapter:

C'est le vie - It's the life or that's life

Peut être - Maybe

Mais tu ne devriez pas avoir à supporter de tels fardeaux - but you should not have to bear such burdens.

Thank you French class!

Next chapter is next Monday as usual. Any concerns or questions PM moi(me). ALSO PLEASE REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi people, so I felt really bored today and the next chapter is already done, so I decided to post it today! YAY! So, here's the next chapter! Also, since I feel like this story is taking forever and I already wrote the majority of it (it's super long and I'm really proud of it) I've decided to keep posting on Mondays and Fridays! Tell me if you like that change!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Tori

Enjoy!

Chapter: 7

"I know I shouldn't have ditched, I—I was just overwhelmed," Tori said still trying to explain herself to the ever silent Bruce. He was just sitting there in his office chair like he was the freaking godfather, waiting to strike you down with his metaphorical gun of parental power—though he wasn't her father, not even close to it, "Am I making any difference here?"

"Where did you go?" he asked,

"To the cemetery, I visited mom and dad," Tori said. It was true, mostly,

"You might have been there for twenty to forty minutes, but after that you went somewhere else," he said, hands laced under his chin,

"Well then you are mistaken," probably not the way to go seeing as he was the world's greatest detective, but she didn't want him to think she did something illegal with Jason, who seemed like the person to do something illegal. Bruce gave her a look that was so disbelieving that she finally crumbled, "Okay, I went to a cafe and had croissants,"

"With Jason," Bruce said,

"Wha—? No, why would I—this is pointless isn't it?" she asked, he had said it so simply like he'd already known,

"Tracker in your backpack, tracker on his bike,"

"What!" Tori cried outraged, "You tracked me!"

"Yes, and keep that last bit a secret, Jason doesn't know,"

"If you don't ground me I won't tell him," she said,

"Are you attempting to blackmail me?" Bruce asked, narrowing his eyes either in amusement or anger—she couldn't tell,

"Please! How about this. I won't do that again, and I won't tell Tim the truth," Bruce looked at her, a definite glare in his gaze and a growl in his voice,

"You would risk Tim's trust in me and you just so you won't get grounded,"

"I don't want to be benched from the cave. I remember helping as Oracle 2…now that Barbara's Batgirl again, I want in on my old job Bruce. I want to be Oracle,"

"That is out of the question," Bruce said,

"Then I'm going to be honest with him," Tori said, glaring him in the eye,

"You being Oracle 2 is what got you where you are now. You know that right?" Bruce asked,

"I do. I don't know the timeline of my life very well but apparently Dick was Batman…which I think is strange, he's not your brooding type. But that's besides the point. Doing things that I did before I was taken will revive my memories and Bruce—I want them back. I want them back so bad. I hate not remembering how I felt in the past, it's like there's a block on all my emotions from before. I want to know what it feels like to be me again—I don't feel like who I was before and I don't want to lose side of that me either. I know everything's different, I know that I got hurt before because of being a part of this team…but I chose that Bruce. Let me choose now,"

"Some choices aren't meant to be made by someone who's been hurt by them once before. Doing something once and then again expecting different results is the definition of insanity,"

"Then I guess we're all insane since we keep putting villains into prisons and expecting them not to come out again," Tori said dryly. Bruce frowned even more,

"You're grounded from training…you'll begin your re-orientation of being Oracle tomorrow and as long as you remain in that school building for the decreed time you are required to be there, you will be able to train again within two months. If you don't, then you'll never train again. You'll just be Oracle,"

"That's a little harsh," Tori said, though she was secretly happy to be back in the swing of things,

"Your memories from before were from the Academy too Tori. You don't want to lose sight of yourself as a hero and you especially don't want to lose sight of yourself as a civilian," Bruce said before getting up to leave,

"Okay—great talk. Thanks!" she called after him, "Oh and I was totally bluffing about the whole 'I'll tell' thing." She couldn't see it but she assumed Bruce rolled his eyes. Now Tori needed to find Tim, apologize for making him worry and ask him how Dick became Batman because she knew Dick never wanted to be Batman.

A/N: My dad always tells me that 'definition of insanity' quote. I don't know who said it first or if he just made it up, but he seriously loves saying it.

Next chapter on Monday and another on Friday! REVIEW and tell me if you guys are okay with the additional chapter each week!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter but just one thing first:

To carsonvicto: regarding your review about the French I put in a few chapters ago, I completely understand your reaction to my mistakes. And I have to say I feel extremely bad for getting it wrong, it's been a while since I actually wrote let alone spoke in French so I hope you can forgive the errors. If in the future I use another language I will check and make sure I am right before putting it in. Thank you for your input though!

Now your chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 8

 _/ / /_

 _"Okay Tori, I'm going to show you some pictures and you're going to tell me if you've seen these people before," a nice woman in a white lab coat stated. Tori, who sat across from her nodded mutely. Her head ached, right at the temples. She didn't know why her head hurt, or who this woman was, but that was okay. They said they were trying to help her and they didn't seem to be doing anything wrong. Even moving her head hurt, her short hair, barely tickling her shoulders hung free and wavy. Smiling the woman held up a picture. In it was a little boy with light brown hair and green eyes. He was smiling at the camera, "Have you seen this boy before?" the lady asked. Tori frowned, scrunching her eyes. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought she heard the sound of a child laughing,_

 _"No, never," she murmured, uncertain by the sound of laughter and joy. The woman beamed,_

 _"Now what about these people?" she held up another photo, this time filled with six people, no seven…but the seventh person was blurred out of the photo…Tori felt like she knew all those people but couldn't quite place it,_

 _"Nope," Tori said. The woman smiled and looked back at the man in the tan colored trench coat and black hat,_

 _"Success Mac, she has no clue,"_

 _"No clue about what?" Tori asked, concerned…should she have known those people, and if she did…how was it a success that she didn't remember them. For the first time since she woke up, Tori felt afraid. Mac, trench coat guy, stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall of the pristine white room,_  
 _"Nothing you need to worry about Tori. You are a very remarkable person. Someone who can change the world, we just need to make sure you're up to date," he made her sound like an iPhone,_

 _"But who were those people?" Tori asked,_

 _"No one you need to worry about," the woman said, "Now come, we need to test some things,"_

 _"Test?" Tori asked, the back of her neck prickled, like goosebumps,_

 _"Nothing too strenuous," Mac said with a gleam Tori didn't like in his eyes, "We're about to change the world—,"_

Tori woke up gasping for breath, heart racing at the realization that she had had the same exact dream a few nights before. It was the same dream…did that mean it was just recurring, or—or every time they erased her mind they did the same exact things again. There were memories within memories that she still didn't remember. They could have done a million different things to her and she might possibly never remember them. Hugging herself to keep the goose-bumps racing up her body at bay she tried not to think about that and focused on calming her heart-beat and breathing.

It was scary not remembering who you were or where you came from, and it was exponentially worse when you were experimented on by a mad scientist. Tori had been writing entries to a cyber diary just in case she ever lost her memories again. Doing that may be overly paranoid, but it made her feel better. She took out her computer and started typing again only to stop at the sight of a FaceTime request from a few minutes ago from Ali, perking up at bit she hit accept. Tori nearly cried out of happiness at the sight of Ali and Cam.

Ali was starting to look so much like Maud, though Max was present in her eyes and nose, even if it had only been six months, and little Cameron was starting to shoot up like a weed. Their, no Ali and Cameron's, uncle Arthur was in a background drinking tea,

"Oh wow, you actually responded. It's like two am there,"

"It's seven there, what are you doing up so early?" Tori asked, hoping she didn't sound too breathless or frightened,

"School dear sister school," Ali said, "And just to be clear, school in the UK is better than school in America,"

"You go to an American school there Ali,"

"That's what I told her!" Cameron piped up, "She wouldn't listen!" Ali glared at Cameron,

"Everything's better here! Coca Cola, the law, the drinking age…everything!"

"Ali, you're only thirteen,"

"Only five more years!" Ali singsonged. Tori rolled her eyes and didn't even consider telling Ali that she could probably drink if she really wanted to, Europe and the UK weren't so strict when it came to age requirements,

"Where's Liam?" she asked. Ali groaned and rolled her eyes,

"He's been acting like an arse—that's UK slang for ass by the way—ever since we got here!"

"For six months really?" Tori asked ignoring the fact that she already knew what arse meant and feeling guilty again, it was her fault. She was the one who dropped the half-sibling bomb on them after telling them she was staying in Gotham after their parents had died,

"Well, not the whole time," Cameron allowed, "And it's not completely your fault, he's been—having a hard time since 'what happened,'" Cameron spoke in a whisper, as if afraid Liam would hear him,

"Put him on the screen, I'll talk to him," Tori said. Ali shook her head and Cameron just looked down right sad,

"That won't work," Ali said before leaning close and whispering close to the mic, "Plus Arthur's in the room. He's a little mean to Liam since he's not our full-blooded brother," Tori nearly growled in anger. Family was family no matter who or where you came from,

"That's not right,"

"It's not all about that!" Cameron snapped at Ali, who pinched him in return, "It's because Arthur's been annoying him about college and stuff. He's been insisting that he stay in the UK for University instead of going back to America," it appeared he and Ali were taking turns whispering into the mic. Tori did not like this one bit,

"Where is Liam at this moment?"

"Probably at a pub," Ali said thoughtfully, "Arthur doesn't approve of that either," Tori wondered if they realized he was right behind them,

"I see," she said instead of asking,

"He'll go to school though, I don't think he even gets drunk there. I think he leaves just to get out of the flat,"

"Is this what you called me about?" Tori asked, "To dump domestic issues and prove you two are turning into complete Brits?"

"No, we wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" Ali said, "I know you thought we forgot, but we didn't!"

"Did you get our card?" Cameron asked,

"Yeah, I got it yesterday. I loved it!" Tori said,

"I'll expect the same on my birthday!" Ali said, pointing her finger accusingly at Tori,

"I have amnesia, I had to ask when everyone's birthday was and even now they've all blurred into meaningless numbers," Tori said,

"It's in December," Ali groaned,

"I'll write that down," Tori said, "I've found that writing things down helps me remember,"

"Good God it's like she is bloody senile," Ali said, smacking her hands to her face. Tori laughed and rolled her eyes,

"Shit happens, I like to write things down. I never want to forget things again,"

"Okay, we need to go otherwise we'll be late. Bye Tori! I'll tell Liam to call you or something!" Ali said before closing the laptop on her end. Sighing Tori looked at the clock, it was barely past three. She was still shaking from her dream and wasn't ready to go back to sleep just yet. Tori opened her computer again and started typing her life story as she remembered it, maybe if she could map out a timeline of everything she learned over the course of her return home everything else will fall into the right places and become clear, bright and happy memories. Grasping that hope she worked until she unceremoniously fell asleep.

Tori was dead the next morning during math first period. She could not keep her eyes open. If it wasn't for Stephanie poking her in the arm repeatedly, she would have passed out on her desk,

"What is wrong with you?" Stephanie whispered,

"I haven't been sleeping well," Tori said out of the corner of her mouth,

"Because?"

"Memories,"

"You get them when you sleep?"

"They're like dreams, but memories," Tori said,

"About?"

"Nothing," Tori said,

"You should tell us what they're about,"

"Why?"

"Because,"

"Because why?"

"It might make you feel better,"

"Yeah…no,"

"You were held against your will by an evil scientist, you should talk otherwise things will haunt you. Trust me I know,"

"And how would _you_ know?" Tori snapped slightly. She didn't mean for it to come out so sharply but Stephanie flinched and got a faraway look in her eyes. Tori didn't like that, she didn't look like the usual Stephanie anymore…was she mad at her? She mused over this for the rest of class. Was there something that had happened that she couldn't remember that Stephanie could relate to? Had she been kidnapped? Tori worried about it until lunch when she grabbed Tim by the arm out into the hallway,

"I think Stephanie's mad at me," she said, "Help me!"

"And I'm supposed to help you how?"

"You're dating her! You know her moods!"

"You're her friend, shouldn't you know her moods too?" Tim asked, all superior,

 _"AMNESIA!"_ Tori shouted,

"Right, right!" Tim said, "I forgot…hehe, I forgot you have amnesia," Tori giggled,

"You're right that was funny," she said as they continued laughing at his stupid joke before she shoke her head and refocused, "Okay, that's besides the point. We were talking during math and all of a sudden she just shut down, like I had said something wrong,"

"I did notice that…and I haven't seen her since math to ask her what happened," Tim mused, biting his lip in thought,

"Huh, we do both do that," Tori said,

"What?"

"Oh Bruce said we both do the same things when we're nervous or thoughtful and…you know what never mind,"

"What were you talking about?" Tori relayed her conversation to Tim and his expression turned grim,

"Oh no, I fucked up didn't I? What did I do wrong?" Tori moaned, leaning against a nearby locker, putting her head in her hands,

"It's not really your fault, you don't remember everything but…it's a pretty big thing," Tim said,

"Well what is it?" Tim quickly and quietly told her what happened between Stephanie and Black Mask and how she nearly died as well as started a gang war,

"Oh…wow, I suck," Tori said shaking her head, "I need to see her and tell her I'm sorry,"

"Wait, let me talk to her first. She'll come to you, I know she'll feel guilty for being mad at you since it isn't technically your fault. I'll let her know you know,"

"Okay…thanks," Tori said as she turned to re-enter the cafeteria but Tim grabbed her arm,

"Wait, Tori, Stephanie's right though. You should talk about what you are remembering. Sometimes it all becomes too much and you need to let it all out or let off steam. Not talking allows it to build up and burst at a random time," Tim said. Tori bit her lip worriedly, "You're worrying again," Tim said with a slight smile on his face,

"Shush, I'll take that into consideration Tim. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry," with that she left Tim in the hall, with no intention on taking up his advice.

A/N: I don't really know all that much about Stephanie, but I think she hasn't been given that much credit for her role in the Batfamily. I had to include her since Tori needed a best friend! Anymore info about Stephanie that you guys think I should add or somehow mention in this story just write a review or PM me and I'll try and fit it in. Keyword _try_ I do already have a lot of this story written but I'll try and fit things in if you ask me too. Thanks and REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's another chapter as promised!

Disclaimer I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 9

Later that evening right before dinner, Stephanie called and told Tori that everything was fine between them, she knew it wasn't Tori's fault she never knew what happened to her. All in all it made Tori's day a little bit better. Dinner, as usual, was a feast. Alfred, the amazing chef he was, whipped up duck d'orange, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and chocolate mousse for desert. Tori, at seeing the chocolate mousse tried to ignore the strange nausea that rolled in her stomach. Alfred intuitively gave her a fruit salad instead of the mousse,

"Okay, I don't get it," Tim said, "How can you not like chocolate? You used to love it. Even Damian likes chocolate!" he waved his spoon over at the ten year-old, who glared in response. Tori stopped her fork inches from her mouth, trying to figure out why she didn't like chocolate anymore,

"I don't know," she admitted, "I just don't have the taste for it anymore,"

"Why though?" Tim asked,

"I don't know…it probably has to do with what happened over the year I was kidnapped," she said shrugging,

"That's a pretty random thing to have in a secret underground lab," Damian said, scrapping the last bit of mousse from the sides of his glass. He normally didn't care for sweets or deserts, but he made an exception for Alfred's chocolate mousse and Tiramisu, "Why give someone you experimented on something enjoyably sweet?"

"Maybe it's because kids trust chocolate to be delicious and he used it to gain trust," Tim replied, scooping up the giant mound he'd created in the center of the glass. For some reason he ate the mousse from the sides first, eating the giant mountain left in the center last. Tori knew they were just coming up with theories, but all this talk about before was making her uncomfortable. Bruce seemed to understand this and fixed the boys with a stare,

"I don't think we should be talking about Mac here," he said, "Whatever happened happened, we don't need to bring to the the dining table," Damian and Tim were suddenly very interested in their desert bowls but ceased all conversation about The Lab,

"Master Bruce," it was Alfred returning from his brief escape to the batcave to check up on Dick, Babs and Stephanie who had already started patrol for the night, "It appears Master Dick, Miss Barbara and Miss Stephanie discovered where Scarecrow was hiding and went to apprehend him. He is in police custody but Master Dick received a nasty bout of fear gas," Bruce frowned, before standing and tossing his napkin on the chair,

"Are the girls bringing him here?" he asked, already heading for the Cave. Tim, Damian and Tori on his heels,

"Yes, there's already a syringe of anti-toxin and a bed prepped and waiting for him there. Will we keep him at the Manor over night to make sure the toxin fully leaves his system?"

"Definitely. He shouldn't be alone through that," Tori never realized that they kept injured family members at the Manor or stayed with them through it all. That proved that they really thought of themselves as a family…not just a team and it made Tori feel better about being a part of this life, there was a family here and she was becoming a part of it too, "Tim stay here, Damian suit up with me for the rest of the night. We'll rendez-vous with Spoiler and finish up patrol," Bruce said. Tori knew it would be a long night for Dick and the others, too bad she didn't remember knowing him as closely as she had before…however close that was she didn't remember, but she felt like she should help with the fear toxin thing but had no idea how. Eventually she decided to just stay out of it and let the others deal with it for now.

* * *

 _Tori stood in front of a table in a room lit by one light. It was weird, different from her small cage-like room that Mac forced her to stay in. Even weirder there was a table in front of her, stacked with chocolate. She loved chocolate, she knew that…from what little she remembered. There was a double sided window behind her where she knew Mac and the lady were. That meant this was a test. Tori was sick of tests, all she wanted was to go back home, her home. The one that had all those children and the grand piano and the Gotham Skyline through the windows. But Mac wouldn't let her go._

 _He kept her locked away in that tiny room with no food since she tried to escape, with her new found ability: super speed, a week ago. Her stomach growled and her thoughts still felt sluggish from the lack of food. The chocolate looked delicious, but she knew there was a catch. There had to be a catch. Tori eyed the table warily before glancing back at the window uncertainly. She didn't touch the bars of chocolate. After a while of standing there doing nothing she heard the crackling sound of the loudspeaker activating,_

 _"What are you doing Tori?" Mac's voice asked, Tori didn't say anything. She was too scared to say a word, "I left you a gift, I felt bad for locking you away for so long without anything to eat. I got those for you," Tori still didn't move,_

 _"You know how long you can last without water right? What about food? You've barely had any water, I wonder how long you'll last without either. You don't leave this room until you eat the chocolate," Mac said. Tori crinkled her eyebrows…what kind of a scientist forces a person to eat chocolate? Mac was weird…but he also always does things for a reason, which meant that something was wrong with the chocolate. With a defiant glare at the window Tori crossed the room and sat down on the other side facing the window, arms crossed over her knees, "Suit yourself Tori. I can find another kid like you off the street any day. I won't care if you die…your family on the other hand…might," Tori squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the growling of her stomach and the smell of the delicious chocolate. They were out of their wrappings…they were rigged…they were poisoned, she didn't need chocolate. Tori kept repeating that over in over in her head, a reason to keep still and fight the need for food._

 _Tori didn't last two days. Mac was true to his word, not food or water came through the door or window. Not only that but every time her eyelids drooped in exhaustion or sleepiness, he'd ring an alarm, waking her up. Tori was so tired, her throat burned and her stomach's growling had lessened. If she stopped feeling hungry it meant she was dying…that scared her…she didn't want to die. She stumbled to her feet and clumsily went over to the table, taking a deep breath she picked up both of the large bars and shoved the chocolate in her mouth._

 _Wonderful flavor burst out in her mouth, she nearly groaned in enjoyment. She closed her eyes in happiness that this wasn't a trick, she was eating a regular chocolate bar…when suddenly something went wrong. The taste of the chocolate turned acidic-like. Startled she swallowed and suddenly felt as if her insides were bubbling. The taste of the chocolate changed into a smoking burning taste. Tori coughed and fell to her knees, gagging and trying to get the burning, acidic, nauseating taste out of her mouth. She vomited on the floor, her stomach burned and her mouth still tasted like the acidic gross chocolate. Tears burned her eyes as she retched again, falling to her side as her body spasmed again. The taste, the taste never left her mouth of the chocolate bars gone wrong even as the door slammed open. Mac and the Lady appeared blurred in her slitted eyes. Tori was dying, she felt like she was. She turned away from them and vomited again. Mac grabbed her arms and forced her up,_

 _"Immune system reparation ability failed, we need to get her the antidote now!"_

 _"I thought she was nothing to you!" the Lady snapped,_

 _"Cassidy, do as I say now! I will not lose my greatest success. The world needs her,"_

 _"Just remember where she comes from Mac," the Lady—Cassidy—said as Tori slowly succumbed to a brilliant bright darkness. Was this the light? Were they really going to let her die, "You took her from the people who had family ties to the wealthy ones who lent us money Mac," Cassidy continued, though she sounded far away,_

 _"Hurry!" Mac said impatiently, "We're losing her," suddenly Tori felt a needle prick her skin, something she was accustomed to since her stay in the Lab, and everything started to come into focus. Tori took in gasps of air she never realized she'd stopped taking. The taste filled her mouth again and she struggled in Mac's grip before he let her drop to the ground to vomit again. Before she passed out she heard Mac say to Cassidy,_

 _"We need more from the Court. It's the only way we'll make any leeway. I don't care about their threats or anger towards who we have here,"_

 _"As you wish doctor." Darkness followed._

* * *

Tori snapped into a sitting position, gasping for breath and the taste of chocolate she hadn't eaten in her mouth. The taste that used to bring her happiness only brought her fear and nausea now. Kicking off the covers with a hand clamped over her mouth she darted out into the hall, praying that her churning stomach stayed tamed until she made it to the bathroom. The hallway was dark and she nearly stumbled into someone walking down the hall on the way to the bathroom, but she didn't care enough to be worrisome or scared or apologetic about it. She felt like her insides were burning and her mouth tasted like it was filled with a decomposing rat. Dropping to her knees she vomited in the toilet.

Finally, it seemed like forever, she stopped. She turned away from the mess in the bowl and sat with her back against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest, exactly how she had sat in the dream…no, the memory…her heart pounded in fear and she couldn't help it, she rested her head on her crossed arms and cried.

Knocking on the door snapped her out of the crying. She lifted her head as a voice called through the door softly,

"Um…Tori? You alright in there?" it was Dick. Dick who had been injected with fear toxin, which was probably the reason he was still up. Tori took a deep breath before answering,

"Yep," she said…it sounded more like a croak. Dick was silent for a minute before he spoke again,

"Can I come in?" he asked, Tori bit her lip before shaking her head even if he couldn't see it,

"No," she replied, but the doorknob turned and Dick was standing above her before she could wipe her eyes of tears. He looked worse for wear too. Dark circles under his eyes, pale skin covered with sweat by the sides of his head and hairline. The fear gas must've been giving him nightmares. But still the ever caring man he was, he took in the gross toilet and the tear-stained face before crouching down in front of her,

"What's wrong 'Ri?" he asked,

"No one's ever called me that," Tori blurted out unintentionally, Dick actually chuckled a little,

"I did before when you were twelve. You decided it was childish at fourteen, but that's besides the point. What's wrong," Tori looked away from him,

"Nothing," she said,

"Um…the vomit in the toilet and the fact that you are crying begs to differ. Now either you're sick and we need to wake Alfred or it's something else," Tori bit her lip again, not wanting to respond,

"I…I had a dream," she said finally. Tori felt like a child trying to avoid explaining the reason she did something wrong,

"Was it about…The Lab?" Dick asked. Tori's mind flashed back to the dream and before she could stop herself she nodded, fresh tears falling as she flung herself at Dick for an unauthorized hug. He didn't complain, he just held her as she sobbed. She really needed to just hug someone and cry, she hadn't done that since being found…she hadn't had a good real cry in nearly a year. Tori cried for a while with Dick stroking her hair and patting her back lightly. It probably wasn't just about the dream, it was probably about her parents' murders, Penny's murder, her abduction, the discovery of her powers—everything that happened coming out in one mucus-y, snotty, hug-y, sob-fest.

After a while she pushed away from Dick and back to her side of the bathroom feeling bad and exhausted and cried-out. Dick's shirt was covered in tears and snot…not exactly something you do to someone who's been fear gassed,

"Sorry," she croaked, scrubbing at her eyes with her pajama shirt sleeve,

"It's okay," Dick said, "whatever you dreamed must've been pretty bad," he nodded his head at the toilet, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Tori said, shaking her head, Dick frowned,

"Tori, I know you don't want to, but it could help you deal with what happened,"

"I don't need to deal with what happened," she snapped slightly, "I-I just don't want to remember it,"

"Why?" Dick asked,

"Because of this!" she cried, waving her arms at the toilet, her and his shirt,

"Tori," Dick said again, just as calmly but also with gentleness, "bottling everything you are remember up inside will just make things worse. You need to let it out or else it will consume you,"

"They're dreams…don't need to tell you about my dreams," Tori said stubbornly,

"No, they're memories Tori. They are things that happened to you and judging by what just happened the things that occurred in that Lab were inhumane. You were abused Tori, you need to talk about it," Tori flinched at the word 'abused' it sounded so feral and evil,

"I don't need a shrink. I'm not crazy," she snapped, glaring at Dick. He smiled back lightly,

"I know that, and shrinks aren't bad people Tori, and besides this would just be therapy. They'll help you deal with what has happened. They've helped me, they've helped Tim and they've helped Barbara and Stephanie. They aren't going to judge you or say you're crazy. They'll just talk to you," Tori stared at him incredulously,

"You've all been to a shrink?" Tori asked shocked. Dick let out a laugh,

"Yeah. After my parents, after Zucco was caught. Tim after his mother, then his father. Barbara after she was shot and after she regained the use of her legs. Stephanie after her bout with Black Mask. We've all gone after being exposed to fear toxin…I'll probably be forced to go tomorrow even though I'm a grown adult,"

"I can't believe I'm whining about me when you've been through hell tonight," Tori said shaking her head,

"Tori, it's fine. But you should consider coming with me tomorrow. Bruce won't even have to know,"

"But it's a school day tomorrow," Tori said, Dick smirked at her before looking over at the toilet, "I think I can change that," he said.

* * *

Tori tapped her foot anxiously as she sat in one of the waiting room chairs for Dick to come out from his session. It was a waiting room like any other doctor's offices'. It made her feel sick. Tori wasn't sure she'd be able to go to another doctors office or hospital without feeling a little bit sick. Tori stopped her tapping—maybe she really did need to see a shrink.

Tori sighed, she didn't want to be here, but Dick had convinced Alfred that she'd gotten sick overnight and needed to be taken to the doctor for a check-up. She hated lying to the old man, but maybe Dick was right. She also hadn't really spent time with him even though she'd been close to everyone in the Wayne household before being abducted, so why not a friendly trip to a therapists office?

Finally the door opened and Dick stepped out, he was smiling and chatting at a blond haired woman with a peculiar necklace around her neck,

"Tori," Dick called, "This is Dinah Lance,"

"Hi Ms. Lance," Tori said, shaking the lady's hand,

"Call me Dinah," she said, "Everyone from Bruce's brood does," Tori didn't know if she liked or disliked the fact that she was considered part of Bruce's brood…probably because she was still apart of a different brood, one that was in London,

"Everyone comes to you?" Tori questioned,

"Yup, Dinah's the best, especially since she knows about our extracurricular activities," Tori gaped and looked over at Dinah,

"You know?" she asked,

"Every gory detail," Dinah replied, "And you've got the bucket-load. I'm glad you've finally decided to come talk to me,"

"Well it wasn't really voluntary," she said, shooting a glare at Dick,

"You didn't even try to stop me," he said, mock glaring back at her,

"Maybe because it was a way to get out of my weird grounding thing from Bruce,"

"Oh right, you were grounded…shoot, if we get caught that means I'm grounded too,"

"Dick, you're almost twenty-four," Tori said,

"Anyway, see you later Tori, I'll be here when you're done," Dick said, ignoring her. Sighing, Tori followed Dinah into her office.

Inside was a chair, a couch and a video camera. Tori immediately didn't like that,

"Okay, any questions before we officially begin?" Dinah asked,

"You're Black Canary right?"

"So much like your brother, yes. How did you know?"

"The necklace, it's how you create your primal screech right?"

"Yes, I don't have electronics implanted in me to grant me superpowers like you. Anything else?"

"What's with the video camera?" Tori asked,

"It's so that I remember what is said. I'm not writing down notes, I tend to forget what I'm writing, especially when the person is talking really fast,"

"Okay," Tori said, sitting on the sofa,

"Okay. To start, relax Tori,"

"I am relaxed,"

"No you aren't. You aren't in trouble, you're just here to talk,"

"And see how my mental state is,"

"Is that what you're concerned about?" Dinah asked,

"My mental state? No, I'm fine,"

"You're getting memories back right?" she asked, seeming to accept Tori's answer,

"Yeah,"

"Can you tell me what it's like receiving them," Dinah leaned back in her chair, arms over the back,

"Well sometimes I get headaches, or wake up shocked or startled,"

"So you get them awake and asleep?"

"Yep,"

"Do these dreams scare you?" Tori frowned, remembering how Dick said that she'd been abused by Mac…and she knew deep down that Dick is right. Did that make her scared of Mac? Yes…her memories coming back though…no,

"I'm not scared of getting my memories back," she said, pulling a pillow into her lap and playing with the frayed bits on the edges,

"Then what are you afraid of Tori?" Tori didn't respond. She didn't know how Dinah would take what the answer was, she was the Black Canary…she didn't do fear,

"It's okay to be afraid Tori, everyone is afraid of something. Falling, heights, spiders, enclosed spaces…hospitals," Tori flinched even as Dinah said it. Tori hadn't been in a hospital since being in the Lab, which was pretty much like a hospital. The Iodoform* smell was the same, the bleach white halls and rooms. The operation table from where they put the chip in her, the training rooms from the lab were like the exercise rooms in hospitals,

"I'm not afraid of a thing," Tori said quietly,

"Are you afraid of a person?" Tori nodded, "Who?"

"Mac,"

"He's the man who took you right?"

"Yeah," she was starting to feel uncomfortable,

"Did he hurt you?"

"You mean other than shoving a chip into my neck and running test after test to see what abilities it gave me?"

"I guess I do,"

"Then not really," she said, "I don't remember much other than the tests and the operation to get the chip in,"

"Can you describe that Tori? Or at least how it made you feel?" Tori was silent for a little while and Dinah sat there patiently waiting for her to respond. The thing was, Tori wasn't sure she could respond.

And there they sat.

A/N: So there it is! Hope you liked it! REVIEW.

* don't know if I spelled that word right or if that's the right chemical. I gave it a go though.

PS single break-line means time break and double means there has been a memory.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hi everyone, I totally forgot that yesterday was a Monday since I did not have school yesterday but here's a chapter anyway!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 10

Dick stood pacing in front of the window of Dinah's office. Sure, he was free of the toxin and the therapy session, but he was still antsy. He often was after a night like the one he had. He needed to get out and do something acrobatic or at least active if he wasn't ready to do something that hit close to his heart. Dick hoped this session would help Tori, he hated seeing her like he had last night. She was not a crier, just like Tim…but after what she had been through, he didn't blame her. It wasn't the fact that she was crying that made him think to take her with him, it was the fact that she had said she didn't want to remember. Remembering was something Tim had told him weeks ago during patrol she had wanted. Something horrible had to have changed her mind and he didn't want her suffering. She has had enough of that. Dick's phone ringing caused him to snap out of his thoughts, sighing he looked at caller ID and groaned before answering,

"Bruce I am at the stupid session, there is no need to call," he muttered into the phone,

"You took Tori with you," it wasn't a question. Dick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose,

"How did you know?"

"Tracker on her…and her chip,"

"You GPS-ed her?" Dick asked appalled,

"She doesn't need to know. Is she with you?"

"She's talking to BC at the moment,"

"Good. I've been meaning to get Tori to see her myself, but didn't know how to bring it up without sounding—,"

"Like a concerned father?" Dick suggested, "You know she probably has no idea where she belongs anymore," he added,

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked,

"Does she belong here with us in Gotham, or does she belong with her other family in London? I mean she has powers and we're the only people who can do anything regarding learning how to control and remove it. We're no where near removing it Bruce. She can't go back with the others unless we do or unless we find Mac and we are no where near doing that either. She is trapped between two kinds of lives with no way of knowing which one to go with,"

"What are you suggesting?" Bruce asked. Dick mused over what he had said, what was he suggesting? Before he could answer the door opened,

"Gotta go, bye," he said before shoving the phone in his pocket and turning to meet the two ladies walking out. Tori looked uncertain and Dinah looked…normal, "How'd go?"

"It went well," Tori said, shrugging a little,

"If you want or need to come over for another chat, don't hesitate to call," Dinah said. Though it was clear to Dick that she wanted Tori to come back. Dick knew the rules, no asking what they talked about, but he was itching to know. He wondered if this was how Bruce felt half the times he took him or Tim here. Jason had flat out refused to go and threatened going on a murder rampage if Bruce even attempted to force him to,

"Okay then, let's head back home," Dick said as he motioned for Tori to start out the door.  
Once in the car and half way home though Dick got an either brilliant or horrible idea, he couldn't decide which,

"Hey Tori," Dick asked, she had been quiet the whole drive so far,

"Yes?" Tori asked, starting to sound more like her usual self,

"Did you know there used to be a Crowne Manor instead of the Penthouse right?"

"Really?" Tori asked, some spark of interest in her eyes,

"Yeah, it burned down ten years before your mom was born…it think," Dick winced at mentioning her mother, but Tori didn't even seem to care, she was too intrigued by the idea of an old family house, "There are some ruins leftover if you'd like to see them,"

"That'd, that'd be cool," Tori said,

"Great, let's go!" Dick said, taking a sharp left turn earning some honking.

* * *

"This is so cool," Tori said, smiling for the first time since last night. The ruins weren't so great to look at but the gate was still shining and as brilliant as it had been one hundred and fifty years earlier, "If only we could go in and see it,"

"Why not?" Dick asked, "You're a Crowne, technically your family owns this land here,

"I thought everything was sold to pay off Max's debts," Tori muttered,

"He wasn't a Crowne though, he had no rights to these grounds, they still belong to you and your family,"

"Then let's go in," Tori said, trying to open the gates.

"Tori Tori Tori, there are funner ways to get into places that are locked up than by simply opening the door," Dick said waggling his finger at her,

"Funner?" she asked, trying not to laugh. She felt better since she talked to Canary. Like there wasn't such a weight on her shoulders anymore. Tori had talked about her memories difficulty, but Dinah had listened with no input or scoff and had even comforted her when she'd started crying half-way through. She was personally outraged at herself for crying, but Dinah had been kind and said that it was just PTSD and it was normal to break down for no reason. Recounting memories of the incident would help her face what had happened to her. It was a way to fight the symptoms. Talking was also a way to let off steam, she let her curse or yell or cry all she wanted. Dinah even let her bite a pillow when she got frustrated about a gap in her memory timeline. Dick smirked at her and ran up the wall, grabbing the edge and flipping himself over onto the other side. Smirking with him she did the same thing, landing gracefully on the other side,

"Beautiful landing, I must say you have a great teacher,"

"How humble of the teacher himself to say," Tori shot back and he laughed. Together they walked along the grounds, passing the dead gardens and the crumbling boathouse. The Manor's ruins were clumped all together in a mound of stone, wood and glass,

"It's interesting, the foundation is still intact, it was the upper floors that collapsed the house," Dick said, kneeling down and examining the stone still sown in the ground,

"In english?" Tori asked,

"It means that someday someone could rebuild the Manor," Tori blinked,

"Is that why you brought me here?" she asked, "So I'd agree to rebuild Crowne Manor? I can't touch my inheritance until I'm twenty-one Dick,"

"No, I brought you here so that you know you'll have a place in Gotham even if you decide to go to London one day," Tori looked at Dick with her head tilted to the side confused,

"What makes you think I'll leave?"

"I don't know why you want to stay," Dick said honestly, "After everything you've been through here,"

"I wonder the same thing about everyone of you guys. You continually risk your lives everyday for people who don't change their ways at all. You don't owe these people anything, yet you do everything to keep them safe,"

"It's so that what happened to us, won't happened to others," Dick said,

"Well there you go. That's why I stay. I'm going to find Mac. I'm going to stop whatever he's planning and I'm doing it whether I'm in London or Gotham," she said, "I will train, I will learn to control my powers and I'll use my memories to find him," Dick looked at her and smiled,

"So you do want to remember now?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted. Suddenly she heard a crack of a tree branch. They both spun around, looking for the culprit but no one was around. Trying not to feel as though she was being watched she faced Dick who was looking around suspiciously, hands near his sides as if reaching for his eskirma sticks,

"Let's head back home Tori. It's getting late." With one last glance at Crowne Manor, Tori followed.

A/N: So the wonderful house, as seen in Nightwing's Court of Owls comic, that Amelia Crowne lived in burned down...I wonder how? Next chapter on Monday! REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here's another lovely update!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 11

Tori hadn't expected to be called down to the cave so soon, it was patrol time and she only had Oracle duty. It wasn't the usual routine. Still, Tori went down, one simply does not ignore the Batman,

"What's up?" Tori asked, Tim was with Bruce and he was smiling widely…too widely for it to be normal, something was up, "Is this a prank of some sort 'cause I swear if Stephanie jumps out at me one more time—,"

"No, it's not a prank," Tim said, still smiling wide,

"Then what is it?"

"We think we found a way to remove your chip," Bruce said. Tori stared at them for a second, processing what he had just said,

"What?" she asked, "I thought we were no where near finding a way!"

"We found a way to remove your chip Tori," Tim parroted Bruce, "It's amazing we found one so soon, but we found a way," her heart soared, it wasn't that she'd just misheard,

"R-really?" she asked, Tim nodded, "OhmiGod, I'm going to be normal again?" she asked,

"Yes, but there is still a chance it may not work,"

"I don't care. I just want it out! How did you figure this out?"

"We fixed the computer and there was a detailed report on the implant of the chip. After a few hours of hacking yesterday while you were at soccer practice and we were able to find how one would remove the chip,"

"Many of the people found didn't have chips in their necks," Bruce said, "They removed them before…they disposed of them" Tori frowned,

"What's wrong?"

"Mac," Tori said, ignoring the small spike of fear that made her insides twist, "he'll just keep doing this, we need to find him and I need my chip to do that,"

"Tori, you do not need to find him. _We_ will find him," Tim said, "You don't need to face that man again, not after what he did to you," Tori closed her eyes,

"But I want to face him. I want to be there when you find him. I want to see his face when he realizes everything is over for him and his murdering experiments are done for, all his lab tech taken and him put in a cell," Bruce frowned,

"We will find him and you can testify in court Tori. You are not going near that man again. Do you or do you not want that chip out?" Tim looked at Bruce in exasperation,

"Of course she wants the chip out!" he said, "Right?" Tori thought for a second before nodding. It was true, she did want the chip out. Mac could track her through it like Bruce did to find her the first time. The EMP emitter in a bracelet Tori wore kept him from using that to his advantage though eventually Mac will probably be able to hack it as well. The EMP itself was used from bits of old tech from the lab that seemed to affect only the GPS and not the abilities themselves. It was better for her and everyone else that it get taken out. She didn't want these abilities, as cool as they were. They marked her as an experiment…she didn't like that,

"Of course I do," she said, "When are we going to do this?"

"Tomorrow night if you'd like. We'll have to go to Leslie's clinic to get this done and you can sleep off the anesthesia easier if it's done at night,"

"Right…I'll have to go under anesthesia," Tori bit her lip,

"It's nothing to worry about. I'll be right there when you wake up," Tim said, coming over and taking her hand in his, a very brotherly thing to do,

"Promise?" Tori asked, she sounded like a small and frightened child,

"Promise," Tim said with a smile,

"Then let's do this!" Tori said with glee, for the first time in nearly seven months, Tori would be her official self. No chip or powers, just Tori. She couldn't help herself she flung her arms around Tim, "Thank you, thank you thank you!" she said before hugging Bruce and saying it over and over again, "Thank you!"

This was the best day of her life.

* * *

"How do you feel?" Tim asked from his seat by her bed after she'd finally woken up from the surgery performed by Leslie. She blinked blearily at him,

"Tired, hungry and eager to stand up," she replied, looking around. They had moved her back to her room in the manor, a feat very impressive since they were all the way in the Clinic down in Crime Alley, "Did you stay here the entire time?" she asked Tim. He shrugged,

"Aw, that's so sweet. Love you too Tim," Tim rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. Looking down though she panicked slightly, "Wait! Where are my hands!" she exclaimed, Tim gave her a look before pulling back the sheets,

"Under the blankets?" he said,

"Oh…wow, no super intelligence. I'm super dumb,"

"You were smart without the chip Tori, I think it's just the drugs," Tim said,

"Haha…well that's embarrassing," she said,

"Don't worry, you should've seen Dick when he had to get his wisdom teeth out,

"That sounds hilarious," she said, "When do I get out of here? Don't we have school today?"

"Yeah, you don't have to go—,"

"No, I want to go, I want to experience school as a normal person again! I won't have to hold back during soccer practice! It'll be great!"

"Okay. Leslie said you just need to eat and drink something and then you're free to 'discharge' yourself,"

"Then get me something to drink…and eat, I'm starving,"

"Sure a thing, be right back."

A few hours later, Tori was on her way to school with Tim and Damian. It was the best feeling in the world to be her normal self again. Stephanie was waiting for them at the doors, a huge smile on her face,

"Tim called and told me they found a way!" she said, giving Tori a hug, "How do you feel?" she asked,

"Amazing!" she replied, Tori had been smiling so much her cheeks were starting to hurt, "This is pretty much the best day of my life." All three of them headed to class and the day began, though for Tori it felt like she was experiencing everything for the first time again. And in the best way possible. Dr. Leslie had warned her that there may be some side affects and to call her immediately if she experienced anything strange. Tori knew that Bruce asked Tim to keep an eye on her all day just in case, but she didn't mind. It was nice to know that Bruce cared for her. He was in no way her father, but he cared in his strange Batman/Bruce-like way.

Tori danced through the day, not even the whispers could anger her that day. She was a new person, a happier person who didn't have to look over her shoulder in fear of Mac. He would never be able to find her again, her chip was gone. No one would see her powers because she had none, she was a free agent. A happy teenage girl who could visit her family in London without fear that Mac would attack them to get to her. She was herself again, the Tori from before. That didn't change the fact that what happened a year ago happened…it just gave her the strength to face it. She can move forward and not live in fear of what happened in the past.

Soccer practice rolled around at the end of the day and Tori was excited to participate chip free, she didn't have to pull her kicks out of fear that the ball would achieve maximum velocity and breech the stratosphere if she didn't hold back. Gymnastics didn't start until winter and track was in the spring. She still practiced for both though. Jenna, her one friend other than Steph or Tim, was on the team as well. She was the only one who didn't seem bothered by the reveal of the affair and also the only one who didn't sneer whenever Tori walked in a room. Sure she was a scholarship kid who hated all rich people anyway, but she was also a really nice person. Jenna jogged over as Tori exited the locker rooms,

"Why are Tim and Stephanie sticking around?" she asked as they walked over to the field. Tori glanced over at the two talking quietly to each other on the array of benches by the field, their heads so close they were almost touching. It was sweet and adorable and Tori totally approved their relationship,

"Guess they just decided to become soccer lovers," she said. Jenna rolled her eyes,

"I know they are not soccer fans, something's up," Jenna said, pulling her dark red hair up in a ponytail,

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Tori said, doing a cartwheel over to the ball bag. Upon landing she felt a wave of vertigo and stumbled a little,

"Whoa there, you good?" Jenna asked, putting the ball she'd gotten out down on the ground. She looked concerned, "You look pale,"

"I'm fine," Tori said, shaking her head, she suddenly felt very hot. She looked up at the sun bearing down on them, it was early October, not that hot anymore…she was probably dehydrated. Glancing at the others on the field she started jogging over to them, Jenna in toe,

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jenna asked as she started passing the ball to her. Tori stopped the ball with the inside of her foot,

"I said I was fine," Tori said, passing the ball back. Her leg felt numb…what was happening? She was feeling great up until now. Tori glanced over to where Tim and Steph sat, still talking and occasionally laughing at something the other had said, taking a deep breath she stopped the ball and ignored the sweat that was starting to bead at the edges of her hairline. Her stomach rolled and she missed the ball the next time it was kicked to her,

"Whoops," she mumbled, "I'll get it," Tori turned and jogged towards the rolling ball. She only made it a few steps before she felt pain lance through her head. Tori cried out, clutching the sides of her head and falling to her knees,

"Tori!" Jenna called, running over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. Through slitted eyes Tori could see Tim sprinting over to them, everyone around them seemed to stop as well. Pain spasmed through her spine and she crumpled onto her hands and knees,

"Tori, what's happening? Where does it hurt?" Tim asked in a calmly hushed but worried tone,

"Hurt?" Jenna exclaimed, "How would she be hurt?" Tim ignored her and Tori couldn't answer, she was in too much pain, more like agony. She felt like she couldn't breath. So she tried to cough, to get air into her lungs but bright red liquid spilled out as she did so. Her heart raced, her body throbbed and she couldn't escape the pain. She coughed again and more cherry red splattered the grass,

"Is that blood?" Jenna gasped, Tim dutifully ignored her and instead lifted Tori up like she weighed nothing more than a sack of flour, the sky swirled above her through slitted eyes as she struggled to breath from her new position,

"…taking…Leslie's," Tim was saying, "It'll be alright," he didn't sound so sure, he sounded scared. They reached the car right before darkness enveloped Tori.

* * *

Tori blinked blearily, trying to gain her bearings and remember what had happened. Her whole body ached, especially her neck. Due to the cool air drifting through her nostrils she knew that a thin oxygen tube was around her face. She briefly panicked at the thought of being a hospital though by looking around she could tell she was in her room at the manor. Suddenly Tori's neck let out a sharp pain and she twitched her hand to try and sooth it only to stop at the feeling of someone else's hand over her own,

"Tori?" it was Tim, and he sounded so relieved,

"Tim?" Tori said, her voice sounded airy, "What happened?"

"What do you remember,"

"I got the chip out and everything was so fantastic—," Tori cut herself off at Tim's sorrowful expression. She sat ram-rod straight—Ignoring the dizziness—and reached back, brushing her long dark brown hair out of the way,

"Tori you shouldn't touch back there—," Tim started but stopped since she didn't listen. She felt frozen as she felt the back of her neck, where the pain was the strongest and where there was a soft padded bandage in place,

"No," she said, "No no _no_ , we took it out. It was gone," Tori looked at her wrist to see, in despair, the EMP bracelet in place,

"Tori," Tim said, grabbing her hand again, "I'm so, so sorry," his voice made her start to cry. He sounded so regretful and she hated that he felt that way. It wasn't just his voice though, it was the fact that after all the trouble they went through—all the research, the studying and tinkering with the tech—they were back to square one. Tori was still in the shadow of Mac…her life was still haunted by that one year and she was still subjected to the chip.

Tim pulled her into a hug and she let him. She cried on his shoulder like she had when Dick found her in the bathroom after her poisoned chocolate nightmare. When she was finished and left hiccuping Tim pulled away and Tori tried to scrub the snot off her face,

"I don't understand. Everything was going so great," she said, her voice sounded nasal from her crying,

"It's my fault. I got excited when we finally found those schematics regarding the chips that I didn't think to factor in the human body and its nervous system. I-I just wanted you to be happy. You wanted to be normal and I thought we had found a way to grant you that. I didn't know it wouldn't work, I was the one who decided to tell you, I told Bruce to tell you even though he was skeptical about the whole thing…and look what happened,"

"Tim, I'm fine. I'm upset yeah, but we know that this chip can be removed. We may have had a set back, but you know, 'one step forward, two steps back?' We'll learn and adapt, we'll crack this chip," she tried to sound upbeat, but her voice wavered and turned into a cough at the end. Tim looked at her his mouth agape,

"You're _fine?_ _Learn and adapt?_ Tori, you nearly _died._ We almost didn't get you to the Clinic in time!" Tori looked at Tim in shock,

"What do you mean I nearly died?"

"Tori…according to what Leslie figured out in the time you were out—,"

"In the time I was _out?_ Tim, how long was I out for?" Tori demanded,

"—three days," Tim sighed,

" _What?_ What did you tell people? What did you tell the school?"

"That doesn't matter. Tori, Leslie discovered something,"

"What?" Tim took a deep breath and took her hand. She immediately knew it wasn't going to be good news and tried to brace herself,

"The chip is fused to your nervous system Tori…Dr. Leslie realized that if we remove the chip, something that has been a part of your body for over a year…it'll try to find a way to replace what it has lost, or attack the area trying to find what 'infected' it. Since it's technology, it isn't possible for your body to replace that chip and because of that, your body would continually attack the area of the chip until it either replaces what it lost or…until it kills the infection—and you in the process," *

"So what you're saying is…I won't survive if this chip is removed?" Tori asked. Tim nodded and Tori took an inhale of air, trying to remain calm but it didn't work, she broke down again. She sobbed and Tim, the good big brother he was held her, albeit a little uncomfortably since he was not a big hugger himself, but still nonetheless, he was there. Finally, she took another deep breath and lay back down,

"Do you want me to go—?" Tim asked, getting up from his chair,

"No, stay," she said, "I-I don't want to be alone right now," Tim allowed a half smile and sat back down,

"What do you think will happen if we try to pursue another way to remove the chip?" Tori asked,

"I don't think we'll be able to Tori. I don't want to get your hopes up, not again,"

"I wanted it out so badly…," Tori shook her head. She didn't want to talk about this anymore, "What's your favorite book?" she asked randomly. Tim looked at her, an eyebrow raised,

"I am sick of talking about this. I don't want to mention my chip, my memories, Mac, anything related to therapy session talk. I want to have a normal conversation with my brother and bond with him," Tori said, Tim let out a chuckle,

"That's the first time you referred to me as your brother, not your half-brother,"

"It doesn't make a difference," Tori said, "Family is family, blood or half-blood doesn't matter,"

"Okay, my favorite book is—," and they did that for hours. They talked, and laughed and mockingly argued about normal things. There was no talk about patrol, no talk about her chip, no talk about her powers…just normal people things.

Tori eventually ditched the oxygen mask thing and Tim ended up lying next to her on the bed, their heads nearly touching on the pillow,

"What was Jack like?" Tori asked after an earlier conversation trickled off. Tim was silent of a second,

"He was like any business man I suppose," he said, shrugging and bumping Tori's shoulder as he did so,

"Ugh, not what I was hoping for," she said,

"It wasn't all that bad. Sure he traveled a lot…mom too, but he always called. He sent cards and presents. He knew exactly what I wanted from each of the places he went on business trips to. And when he was home, he would help me with my science projects or history assignments. He was very smart and loved photography,"

"I like photography," Tori mumbled. she didn't know how late it was but she was getting tired, "Do you think I got that from him?"

"Yeah. You also look a lot like him. You have his hair—,"

"—Maud's eyes," Tori said blinking,

"—his nose and eye shape,"

"—her body structure,"

"his stubbornness,"

"I think we both got that," she said. Silence reigned and she was starting to slip asleep, "I remember the funeral,"

"You do?" he asked,

"Yeah…three months before I disappeared…eleven weeks before you discovered I was your sister," she said, "I wish I could have known him," Tim was quiet before he answered in a yawn,

"Me too." Silence for a second or two, "What was it like?" Tim asked,

"What was what like?" Tori asked, rubbing her eye,

"Waking up and not knowing who you were. I would have been terrified," Tori thought for a second or two,

"At first it was terrifying. But after a while it was…liberating. When I had no memories nothing defined me. I had a clean slate and I could become whoever I would become or wanted to become. There was no baggage of past mistakes or memories of hurt. When I got some of the memories back though, it was like I was seeing double. I was seeing who I was and who I had become. I didn't know where I belonged or who I was supposed to be. I had no path because I wasn't the same person anymore. I'm not the girl I was before...and I'm okay with that,"

"Maybe…but you can always find that path again," Tim said, "You aren't defined by your past, only your future and your future choices. You may stray from your so called path, but you can always find it again, it'll just be…changed." That was the last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep, her brother next to her. Always there in the face of the unknown.

A/N: So I kind of ended that chapter abruptly...but it was the only way I could think to end it. Next chapter on Monday(hopefully I'll remember 8) ) REVIEW!

*I did not research that so please do not use that for a biology paper or something. It's completely made up for the purpose of the story. If I researched anything I'd provide a link for you guys to see it but for this I just made up.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Tori and her siblings

Enjoy!

Chapter: 12

"Tuberculosis?" Tori said, "That's the best you could come up with?" she was at the breakfast table, munching on her toast when Bruce told her what he told the school what had 'happened' to her. She was doing better, still bummed about the chip, but she wasn't ready to let that get her down completely…she was an optimist that way,

"It was either that or pneumonia, and it's not cold enough for that yet," Bruce said,

"How am I supposed to fake Tuberculosis?" Tori asked,

"Cough a lot?" Tim suggested, "It was either that or cocaine Tori,"

"Ugh, I think I'd rather be a fake addict than fake sick with a fake disease,"

"Really?" Bruce asked, "I could call and tell them I was lying for you,"

"No, never mind. Wait, am I not allowed to do sports?" she asked,

"Well, no…but I told them it was a mild case that you weren't contagious anymore and that you should be well enough to play again by December,"

"Uggggghhhhh," Tori groaned, slumping in her seat, "Oh the humanity! My life of ball is over and done with! I'll get fat and depressed since I am not allowed in the cave for training for another two weeks!" tilting her head back she put a hand over her forehead and wept fake tears,

"And you call me melodramatic," Damian muttered. Everyone stared at him, "What?"

"Did he just make a joke?" Tim asked,

"Oh my God, school is wearing off on him!" Tori said, "We're humanizing him! Yes!" she high-fived Tim while Damian grumbled into his cereal that it wasn't even that good of a joke and Bruce just looked amused while sipping his coffee,

"Next he'll be making Yo Mama jokes!" Tori exclaimed, "And he won't bite people anymore!"

"I don't think he'll break the glaring habit but he might stop threatening to kill people every five minutes," Tim said, a hand to his chin,

"All right Master Timothy and Miss Victoria, I think that is enough teasing on Master Damian's part," Alfred said coming in to collect the plates and to Damian's rescue, seeing as the ten-year old's face was bright red and he looked murderous, "Get in the car or you'll all be late for school." Alfred added. Damian tripped Tim as they all scrambled to grab their bags, leaving Tori to wonder when his revenge for her would be.

* * *

The school was still filled with whispers of Tori, but they were just background buzz by now. She was so used to them she didn't even care anymore. Maybe that's how Tim and Stephanie because so oblivious to them, they were talked about so often that it just didn't matter to them anymore. Tori found that they could talk all they wanted and she still didn't give a shit. Zero fucks were given that day. She, Jenna, Stephanie and Tim just went through the day normally, though Jenna was still suspicious of what happened to her four days before.

When lunch rolled around Tori went outside again, she found she did that often, and while she didn't know why, Tori discovered the reason as soon as she saw a flash of red disappear down the alley by the school. Smiling to herself she ducked down into the alleyway,

"Hey!" she called as Jason took off his helmet and grin a Cheshire cat like grin at her, "You!" That seemed to be there thing. Alleyways, red clothing and shouting 'Hey you!' every time they met,

"So, what's all this drama I've been hearing of about?" he asked,

"And where would you be hearing this drama from?" she asked, leaning against the alley wall,

"Tim…is it true that you finally got the chip out," Tori, who had been smiling frowned,

"Well then you've been misinformed, I didn't get the chip out," Jason frowned,

"Didn't think Tim would lie about that," he growled,

"No, I'm pretty sure he was going to tell you. We did get it out, but then we had to put it back in,"

"What? Why?"

"You know if you'd just come back to the manor, you'd know these things," Tori said crossing her arms,

"I can't come back," Jason said shortly,

"Why not?" Tori demanded, "I'm not dead! I'm right here, you didn't even have to leave before when I was gone. Sure I was your adoptive brother's biological sister, but that didn't mean you had to leave because I disappeared," Jason's eyes darkened slightly and Tori suddenly understood what Jason meant by how he could be unstable sometimes. For some reason that didn't scare her, it intrigued her. She wondered how hard it was to center himself and keep from losing control. Jason was a killer, but he was also a man who had once fought to save people, not just kill them for their crimes. He didn't kill every criminal who have crossed paths with him. She didn't know how he determined who he would kill or who he'd let live and the truth was that he didn't determine who he killed and who he didn't—she didn't have the courage to asked. Though it made Tori wonder if he had anyone to help keep him grounded, she wondered how truly alone Jason was,

"You were not just my brothers' little sister. Everyone knew you. One thing I had to come to terms with before I came back to the manor the first time, was the fact that I wasn't just a Robin to Batman, I was a son to Bruce…I was a son he had lost. You were not just the little sister of someone we knew, you were family,"

"Glad to know I was missed," she said wryly,

"Don't joke," Jason stated, "And I can't come back. It's…complicated,"

"Everything's complicated these days," Tori sighed,

"Why did you have to put the chip back in?"

"Because I would have died without it," Tori replied, "Nearly did actually…I don't think we're going to try and remove the thing anytime soon,"

"I'm sorry," Jason said,

"I'd rather have the chip than die," she said, "It's no big deal,"

"Liar," Jason said, and Tori cracked a smile,

"Maybe. But I can actually do things with this chip," she said, "Mac created this idea to 'improve' the world. For him, I'm assuming improving means controlling…but I could save lives with these gifts,"

"It's too dangerous," Jason said,

"And you should know that I will probably not listen to that,"

"What happened a year ago was caused by you trying to do what we do," Jason said, "You shouldn't have been brought into our night life,"

"I was different back than! I was overambitious! I thought I was invincible, I know I'm not now and I know how horrible the world can be. You can try to stop me all you want but I will do whatever I can to make the most of these powers that I don't want. I will turn Mac's own idea against him. I'll create a hell of his own making. As he said, he created me, so I'll destroy his plans for me," Tori said, glaring at Jason, "and no one will prevent me from doing that Jason," Tori turned on the spot and geo-leaped to the front entrance of the school, not caring if the security cameras saw or not.

A/N: Next chapter next monday! REVIEW!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 13

Things were quiet for a few days after that. Tori was still grounded, but she assisted by being Oracle on the computers. It gave Alfred a reason to go to sleep earlier, only waking up to patch up Bruce, Tim, Stephanie, Dick and/or Barbara. Jason never showed up to the cave, he hadn't been to her school in a while either. Tori wondered why that bothered her so much. She tried to ignore that small fear that it was her fault he never came back. Tori felt like she split up the Wayne family because of her disappearance…but she didn't say anything like that to the others. Nothing was happening as of late, all the Arkham patients from nearly nine months ago had finally been caught and returned to their cells, patrols were normal now and no one had escaped recently…except Catwoman. Tori thought Bruce let that slide on purpose, though she wouldn't say it outright.

Tim's eighteenth birthday passed with no problems and Damian's eleventh birthday passed as well. Tori's grounding was lifted, finally and the first snowfall was forecasted to fall on the solstice. Tori was excited for the cold season. She secretly loved winter…though she was also secretly dreading it. Her first winter without Maud or Max….her first winter after one away from them. Tori dreaded the memories that would come with the winter season in the Lab…but none came. She counted that as an early Christmas gift. What she found the day before break started, she counted as a Christmas miracle.

Tori woke up early to find that even Alfred was still asleep. She had no idea what had woken her up, whether it was a bad dream or memory from before was a mystery. Tori had no recollection of the dream, so she just assumed it was a happy dream. Kicking off her sheets and strolling to the kitchen she was not expecting it to be empty, but didn't mind it either. She cartwheeled down the long hallway—something Bruce hated and periodically yelled at her or Dick whenever they did it—to the front door and opened it, shocked at the chill and the kiss of white flurries on her face. Smiling and slightly surprised she opened her mouth to catch the snow on her tongue,

"Snow is early!" She sung as she glanced at the whitening landscape. Tori looked down to find a half buried newspaper at their doorstep. Rescuing it from destruction Tori took it inside only to freeze at the front page picture and caption. There was a woman in a white lab coat, smiling out to the people reading with light blond hair and cold grey eyes. Tori knew that face well, and her hands started to shake as she read the caption 'DR. CASSIDY KING TO HAVE AN OPEN CONFERENCE ON HER NEW ADVANCEMENT IN THE BIO-TECHNICAL PROJECT OF HER CORPORATION: BIOTECH,'

"No way…it can't be her," Tori whispered. But it was. Cassidy from the Lab, the scientist who held her against her will was giving a presentation on bionic tech that had given her super human abilities. What did this mean? What were Cassidy and Mac up to? How are they not getting arrested, don't the cops know who took her. Tori then realized that she never heard Mac's last name, nor was he mentioned in the title. Was Cassidy acting alone now? Or was Mac controlling what she produces from the shadows? Tori didn't like not knowing…but at the same time she had to know. Tori needed to find out what these people were up to and end it, they would not succeed in whatever world domination scheme they'd hatched.

Tori needed to find out when and where this presentation would be and put and end to it—whatever it was—once and for all. Nearly frantic Tori skimmed the newspaper for the time and place only to freeze, panic nearly causing tears to fall as she read:

BioTech Tower in London, England at 16:00. That is where her siblings live…they were right in the crossfire and they could be threatened. Tori needed to make sure they were safe…she needed to make a visit. Biting her lip she pulled the front page out of the newspaper and took out the rest of the entire article as well. She needed to do this on her own and Bruce would never let her set foot in London if he knew what Tori was really doing. As it was no one other than her knew about Dr. Cassidy. Folding the pages decisively she shoved them in her sweatpants pocket just as Alfred walked through the archway separating the hallway from the living room,

"Miss Tori! What are you doing up at this hour?" Alfred asked, clearly shocked by her appearance in the hallway at five in the morning, "And what is in your hands?" Titus pranced down the hallway, his toenails clicking on the wooden floor,

"Um…I couldn't sleep and this is the newspaper that I rescued from the snow outside,"

"I see that, but it's only half of the paper,"

"Some of the pages were destroyed, ink everywhere Alfie. I took the liberty of getting rid of it,"

"I see. Is there anything you require or will you re-retire to your bedroom?" Alfred asked,

"Actually…is Bruce up? I need to ask him something," Tori said. Alfred gave her a look, "Right, of course he's up. I'll be back by breakfast, see ya!" Tori said as she set off for Bruce's study. Her heart rate barely back to a normal rate and the papers stuffed in her pajama pant's pockets. Tori needed to go to London.

* * *

"Why so soon?" Tim asked, waving his arms in the air as she folded up a shirt and shoved it in her suitcase. Tori internally sighed, he was upset she was leaving for London,

"Tim, I miss my family," she said. It was true, she did miss them, but she was also going to somehow get information on what Mac was up to through Dr. King. The only way she could do that was if she went to London. Visiting her family was the perfect excuse to do so and Bruce would never question it,

"I know, I understand that…but it's Christmas Tori," Tim said, he seemed to be pleading, "It's our first Christmas together as siblings, not just best friends," Tori sighed, now she understood why he was so upset,

"I know…I understand how much this must have meant to you…but if I never get this chip out, it could be my last time seeing my family ever. Mac could break this EMP emitter bracelet thing and try to attack here which is like attacking Fort Knox, or he could break it when I'm visiting my family at a later time, which is like attacking a cardboard box. This is my one shot and it's only for a few days, I'll be back for New Years, I promise," Tim sighed,

"Fine, but I'm not giving you your present early this time," he state crossing his arms,

"Oh, I am wounded! You always gave me my present early. Even before I knew the secret," she stated, Tim laughed,

"No idea why I did that, I guess I internally knew you were my sister or something,"

"Well, we do look insanely alike," Tori replied, tossing a toiletries bag on top of all her clothes before closing it with one hand, "Same dark brown hair, same blue eyes,"

"Well…not the same blue eyes," Tim said quietly, like he was realizing something,

"What do you mean? Blue is blue," Tori said before her watch beeped, "Oh, my plane just landed, gotta go!" she said, giving Tim a fleeting hug,

"FaceTime for Christmas Eve?" Tim asked,

"Of course," she stated,

"And you're sure this will work?" he asked,

"I looked at pictures of the Airport terminal, I should be fine! See you in a week!" Tori said, glad her ruse worked before turning and disappearing bag and all, only to reappear in the London Airport. Ready to face BioTech Corp.

* * *

Tim was suspicious, very suspicious as to why Tori was leaving so soon after break started. Sure, he was happy she wanted to spend time with her younger siblings, but he kind of felt put off to the side, like he was less than them since he was only half her sibling. Internally he knew that wasn't fair seeing as they were all her half-siblings, but he looked the most like her. That had to mean something right? His father's looks came out on top, not Maud's they should spend more time together because they never had the opportunity to before hand.

Tim was being petty, a whiny child who wanted his sibling to pay attention to him. He felt like he was playing tug of war with him on one side and all of Tori's other siblings on the other…not good tug of war odds. It was silly that he was being clingy. Sure the fear of losing her again was what brought it on. Tori had left abruptly before and she ended up being believed dead, could he really blame himself for slightly freaking out over her leaving so soon? Tori was just starting to feel like a real sibling, she was starting to become a relative, not just by genetics, but by spirit to Tim. They had many similarities, yet so many differences and he really wanted to discover them all. He nearly missed his chance when she had been taken. When she had been found, he could hardly believe it, all his bad luck and finally, a lucky break. He'll miss her, it was like looking at his father looking at her, but he knew she would come back. It wasn't like last time.

One thing intrigued him, those eyes Tori had. They were Maud's eyes…but someone else's too, he had the person's name on the tip of his tongue. Tim wondered if he had just imagined it, but went downstairs to the computers nonetheless only to stop when he felt his phone buzzing, the Titans needed him. Sighing he moved to where his suit was located and started to put it on. Research would have to wait.

A/N: What is Cassidy doing in England?

REVIEW! Next chapter Monday!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 14

Tori shivered slightly at the chill of the London air, she forgot how gloomy London can be. She never actually visited London, but Max had always mentioned how different London was. Looking back made her wonder why Max didn't have an English accent. Deciding not to think on that she waited by the road with her luggage for her family to arrive. She thought through her plan for the conference, which was a few days from now. She'd done her research, BioTech Industry was a huge company dealing with the infusion of technology and biology to expand horizons on health standards and, well, technology. It was pretty much in the name. There was no mention of any significant breakthroughs other than what Cassidy was going to announce that day. Tori suspected it was a front, she needed to find proof that Biotech was really Cassidy and Mac working behind the scenes to create a superhuman army. How she would get that proof, she had no clue, but she'll find a way,

"Tori!" Tori sprang to her feet just as now nine year-old Cameron leapt into her arms,

"Hey Cam, missed you buddy," she said, planting a kiss on his head,

"Blech," he said, rubbing his hair with a disgruntled look on his face,

"Cameron I told you not to run ahead," a distinguished and accented voice scolded. It was Arthur…who looked nothing like Max. Max had fair hair where Arthur had dark hair and eyes, he also had a dusting of a beard, "It is good to finally meet you Victoria," he said holding out his hand,

"You too," she said, shaking it,

"Tori!" Ali cried, flinging her arms around her, "I've missed you so much! I can't wait to show you around London and where my school is and where the best food places and shopping places are! I'm so glad you decided to come up here for Christmas! I don't think I could've sent your present through the mail, it would have gotten crushed!"

"We can give her a tour tomorrow, she is probably jet-lagged," Arthur stated gently as he took Tori's suitcase, "How was the flight?" Tori stared at him in confusion a second too long before she realized they thought she flew in on a plane,

"Oh, it was fine. I watched a lot of movies before nodding off," she hoped recovered quickly,

"Did you have to sit next to annoying people?" Cameron asked, hopping into puddles on the sidewalk. Tori could practically see Arthur internally groan,

"Where's Liam?" Tori asked, not answering the question. Arthur let out an annoyed breath of air,

"That boy disappeared an hour before you called saying you arrived. I suspect he is out at a pub. Those blasted places,"

"Oh, he didn't want to see me?" she asked, slightly disappointed,

"You know how Liam gets when he's angry—oh wait, whoops," Ali said before clapping her hands over her mouth. Arthur looked confused before he nodded in realization,

"Ah yes, I heard of your mysterious disappearance Victoria," Arthur said, "I hope you are reacquainting yourself with your memories in Gotham?"

"Ah, yeah…I am. It's slow, but I'm getting there," she replied, "And it's Tori…not Victoria," Arthur was silent after that. They arrived at the car and once everyone was settled, started back for Arthur's flat. Arthur was still silent as a rock while Cameron and Ali chatted happily—often competing with each other for Tori's attention—about London and the new life they made up here. He seemed to musing over something, he was probably thinking about his brother…who had been murdered not even a month after Tori returned to Gotham. Did he blame her? Tori didn't know, but one thing's for sure: it was going to be a long week.

* * *

Tori wished she could've just stayed in the guest bedroom of Arthur's flat, but they all decided to go out for lunch. Liam still hadn't turned up, and Arthur said he was working. Tori didn't know where he was working, but it was clearly very important since he could take time off to see his sister whom he hasn't seen in six months. Tori felt utterly ignored, she knew that Liam was only angry at her for lying and for staying Gotham, away from them. If only she could tell him the truth. Maud had said once that while Liam takes betrayal and lies well, but he punishes the giver of betrayal and lies mercilessly—not physically—but he still punishes them. He ignores them like a five year old but with the cruelty of a mastermind.

Tori didn't see Liam until dinner. He walked in and hung up a coat—which was strange because he never hung up his coat from her memories of her younger years—and went over to the coffee maker. He looked haggard and tired, not like the Liam that had left Gotham. Tori had thought him leaving Gotham would make him better, why was he so different from before?

"Liam, Liam, Liam, Liam!" Cameron shouted, jumping up and down as Liam took a huge gulp of coffee. He held up a finger as Cameron kept on bouncing. He stayed like that, and Cameron kept chanting his name until Liam finished his cup,

"What's up buddy?" he asked finally, smiling down at him,

"Tori's here!" Cameron said excitedly, pointing at her. Tori smiled and waved at him. Liam just frowned and stared blankly at her,

"I see," was all he said just as Arthur came into the room,

"Coffee before bed I see,"

"It's seven at night Arthur, hardly bedtime. I didn't think your criticism went so far as my coffee habits," Tori blinked in shock at the attitude of her older brother,

"And I see working at that ridiculous company has already turned you bitter,"

"You're just mad that they didn't hire you!" Liam snapped, Arthur's face turned bright red and he opened his mouth to yell or shout or something before Tori intervened,

"Where do you work?" she asked. The question was directed at Liam, but he just turned away, taking his new mugful of coffee to his room. His tall and long-limb frame filled the door-frame as he shut the door with a decisive kick. Arthur sighed before turning to Tori,

"He works at—," he never got to finish his sentence since the front door was smacked open by Ali, wearing a brilliant smile, carrying bags from their favorite restaurant a few blocks away,

"DINNER'S HERE!" she practically screamed, "See Tori! I can walk all by myself to the restaurant! Mom and dad never let me do that in Gotham! It's so much better here than there. The food's better for one thing and there's no lunatics running around in bat suits or purple tuxes," Tori tried not to cringe at those two descriptions in the same sentence, but she probably failed, "Has there been another breakout since then? I mean I don't really care but I wanna know and Lily said that—," Ali rambled on as everyone set plates out and took the containers from the bags. Cameron dashed over to Liam's room and knocked politely on the door, when Liam appeared he took the food and disappeared,

"What is up with him?" Tori demanded,

"Besides the fact that his mother and two of his fathers have been killed?" Ali asked so casually Tori could only gape in response, "He started working at this huge company, which came pretty much out of nowhere, but still super huge and important. It's very hard to get a job there. Liam only got one part-time, but even that's still very hard to get,"

"He started out really happy, but then something changed. It happened a few days ago. I dunno what it was but he's not talking about it," Cameron said,

"Let's not discuss this at the dining table," Arthur said, though it sounded like a snarl,

"He's really bitter because the company refused to hire him, on account that he's worked for the government before," Ali whispered to Tori,

"Alison!" Arthur said sternly, his face turning red again,

"Before what?" Tori asked, frowning around the piece of fish and chips in her mouth—it was tourist food, but she still wanted to try it—,

"Nothing Victoria—,"

"Tori—," she insisted, slightly irritated,

"Uncle Arthur got fired!" Cameron said finally, sounding pleased for some odd reason,

"I did not get fired, I decided to find a different career,"

"As suggested by your boss," Ali said, rolling her eyes, "Of course that happens as soon as you agree to take care of four kids,"

"Is that why Liam got a job?" Tori asked worrying her lip,

"No, I have a new job. It's not as well paying as my last one, but it is enough. Liam got that job to…spite me," Arthur muttered,

"Oh," Tori replied, she had no response to that. The rest of the dinner was silent.

Tori didn't get to use her computer privately until around midnight. While she had thought since she geo-leaped to London, she wouldn't feel the affects of jetlag, she really was experiencing it. Which was another reason why she was on her computer. She was working her way though the firewalls of BioTech's computers to see if she could get the schedule for the interview. If she knew when everyone would be in the conference room she could sneak to the upper levels and find whatever dirty secrets they have. Then she'd make her way to the basements to see if there is a Lab down there…and if there are other people like her trapped there with no memories. The thought of the possibility made her shiver. Had she made a mistake coming here? She could be playing right into Mac's hands. Not only that but if her plan failed, she could end up exactly where she had been a year ago. Tori shook her head and shut her computer, turning off her light she forced herself to fall asleep.

A/N: Love writing Tori's siblings, they're fun because I don't have to try and keep them in character like Jason, Dick, Tim, Damian, Bruce and Alfred because they're my own characters!

REVIEW!

Next chapter on Friday!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 15

Tori awoke two days before the conference to Ali jumping on her bed and shouting,

"We're giving you a tour whether you want one or not!" True to her word, Ali had everyone, including Liam, walking through London. Tori had to hand it to her sister, she had changed. Unlike Liam she had changed in a more positive way. She didn't skip anymore—if the records Tori had hacked into from their school were accurate—she was more responsible, more carefree and happy. Ali didn't whine or follow others because she felt inferior, she had really grown into herself…that or it was all a show. Tori hoped it wasn't the latter,

"Tori, look down!" Ali said suddenly, "They paint on the sidewalk which way you should look, this way tourists won't get hit!" Tori smiled dryly,

"Is that your way of saying not to run out in front of any cars?"

"I just think it's smart," Ali said sniffing slightly and sticking her nose in the air, "besides, even us Londoners—who've been here nearly a whole nine months—still need to look. *cough* Cameron *cough*," Ali said, fake coughing into her hand,

"Hey!" Cameron growled,

"Don't listen to her," Tori said, slinging an arm around his shoulders,

"Please, if it wasn't for us he'd been roadkill by now. He never knows which way to look," Tori tried not to wince at the mention of anyone being roadkill…she'd seen that happen to someone. A long time ago it seemed, Penny Avalon had been tossed in front of a car that had been originally meant for Tori had she not offered herself up instead. After that Tori hung back slightly, walking slower than the others. Arthur—she didn't know if she should call him uncle Arthur—walked up at the front of their group, Ali a few steps behind him. Liam was around the middle, not near the front or too far away. Cameron and Tori made up the rear, keeping a slower pace, but still slightly listening to Ali's rambling of London history and Ali history—which was the correct history, just Ali adding a bit of humor to an event—,

"What's Tim like?" Cameron asked randomly, Tori looked at him in confusion,

"Why would you want to know that?" she asked him,

"He's like our pseudo sibling isn't he?" Cameron asked,

"I don't think that's a thing Cam," Tori replied,

"Well, you live with him. I wanna know," Cameron said,

"Wanna know what?"

"Why you decided to stay with him and not us,"

"You know why,"

"Then I want to know him. If you're letting some stranger into you life then I want to know what he's like that way it won't be weird when he comes to family things,"

"Like what family things?" Tori asked,

"I dunno…your wedding?" Tori laughed,

"I think that's a while from now. You'll probably have met him by then,"

"Really?" Cameron asked, looking up at her hopefully,

"Well, if you ever visit Gotham again—,"

"—No, I never wanna visit that place again," Cameron said darkly,

"Do—do you remember that day?" Tori asked. She felt horrible asking, but she wondered,

"I-I remember seeing a black figure, it was fast—a-and just a blur," Cameron said, "I-I wanted to scream or say something b-but Jess had s-said to stay quiet—n-no matter what," Tori bit her lip, she felt horrible…but then something occurred to her. Cameron had not once played with the batman action figure he had always carried before throughout the duration of her stay,

"Batman didn't do it," Tori said,

"How do you know?" Cameron asked, frowning,

"I just know that for a fact. I mean, was the figure all black?"

"Well…there was some gold and brown,"

"See, it was something else entirely,"

"But he didn't stop it either," Cameron muttered. Tori was quiet, but she couldn't stop the silent thought that followed: _he didn't stop what happened to me as well._ Tori shook that thought from her head, he couldn't have known, he thought I was dead. Sighing she hurried to cross the street. Just as she reached the other side, Liam, who was still silent as ever in the middle, turned to face them,

"Tori, where's Cameron?" he demanded, his voice deepening with worry,

"What he was right next to me!" Tori said, spinning around, Ali's words whispering in her mind: _He never knows which way to look._ Cameron was still on the other side, staring at a park on the other side of the street. He was still looking the wrong way when he stepped into the road, he only started to turn his head when a car turned down the street the crosswalk was on going much too fast and he just stopped as he saw the car, like a deer in headlights. Liam yelled, _"CAMERON!"_ his voice filled with panic as he started to sprint forward,

Tori stood frozen, the dim recollection of a time she had tried to forget flickering across her mind in a millisecond. The glare of headlights and screeching tires…only this time it was real and it was her little brother. Tori didn't think, the car got closer much to fast with no time to slow—Liam was a distance runner, not a sprinter he wouldn't get there in time and even if he did he would get hit instead—, she geo-leaped. Cameron was looking at the car and didn't notice, but Liam was facing forward, she used her ability right in front of him. She didn't care, she'd do it again in a heart beat.

Tori reappeared right next to Cameron and shoved him out of the way just as the car was nearly on top of them, she slammed her hands on the hood of the car as it strained to stop and used all her super strength to keep it from flinging her out into the open road, as well as the car from flipping over her—she didn't want to injure the driver even if he had almost hit her little brother. She skidded back a few feet, the fender jamming her in her legs as she let go and let the car rebound her a bit. Tori had to make it look like it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Sure the bruise from falling on hard concrete would be a bother to deal with, but it would keep the press at bay if they came.

Cameron landed on his side, his hand getting all scraped up. The driver was out of his car, complaining about Cameron, Tori and the weird looking dents in his car. People and Liam watched in awe as Tori struggled to her feet. Arthur and Ali sprinted up to where Liam was on the sidewalk. Tori quickly went over to Cameron and pulled him to his feet, hugging his shaking shoulders,

"We won't press charges or anything insurance scandal-wise if you forget this ever happened," she said, "You'd be in more trouble for nearly hitting a child than it's worth trying to argue for us paying for the dents," she added for good measure. The man merely nodded, flabbergasted. Tori ignored them and walked over to her family,

"Let's continue our tour," she said,

"What is it with you and cars Tori?" Ali asked, a wary grin on her face as they continued walking like nothing had happened. The tour continued, but Tori could feel Liam's glare from behind—she'd have a lot to answer to when they returned.

. . .

They walked towards Arthur's flat, everyone was silent. Tori had been wondering what was going on through Liam's head at the moment. It was a frightening scenario. Would her brother reject her and her abilities—if that is what he determined what had just happened to be—or would he accept her and be able to learn the entire truth. Should she even tell him the entire truth? Bruce would not approve if he were here, Tim would not approve either, but Liam was her brother and he deserved to know the truth. His silence hurt her, his attitude, displeasure towards everything and secludedness could have all been avoided if she had just told him the truth. She wondered if she had a choice would she actually tell him the truth at all.

As soon as they stepped through the door, Tori moved to where the medical supplies were and sat Cameron on the kitchen table chair. She pulled out band-aids, cotton balls and disinfectant. Liam approached them as she added the liquid to the cotton balls and started rubbing them on Cameron's cut up hands,

"Tori, I need to talk to you," he said,

"Alright, what's up?" she asked. Tori knew that's not what he meant, but she wanted to make sure Cameron was okay,

"In private," Liam practically hissed,

"Hold on," Tori said,

"Now, before Arthur or—,"

"I said hold on!" Tori snapped, "I actually want to make sure our brother is alright unlike some shut in who works more than he associates with his family!" she hadn't meant it to come out so harsh, but Liam had been irritating her ever since she arrived in London. Liam seemed taken aback by her yelling but he quickly masked his features,

"I see," was all he said, "How you holding up buddy?"

"Fine," Cameron said in a small voice, "my hands sting,"

"I know. They're a little cut up, but you'll be fine," Tori said, placing the last band-aid on before standing up,

"Don't you need a band-aid?" Cameron asked, "The car actually braked into you,"

"I'm fine. I have to talk with Liam. I'll be back in a bit," she said before following Liam to his room,

"Alone," Liam said, gently shoving Ali and Cameron out of his door frame and shutting the door,

"Jerk."  
"Arse." were their responses.

Liam and Tori stood in silence for a second or two before Liam finally spoke,

"What the _hell_ was that?" he finally asked. Tori remained silent, "What the _hell happened_ back there?"

"Our little brother nearly got ran over by a car and I heroically rescued him from certain death," Tori replied,

"Bullshit. I _saw_ what _happened_. I. Saw. What. Happened,"

"And what was that?" Tori asked, she sat lightly on his bed, her feet planted on the floor while Liam stood facing her, his golden eyes burning with an emotion Tori couldn't perceive at the moment,

"You were standing next to me, and then suddenly you were over by Cameron. You put your hands on the hood of that car and stopped the damn thing. What the _hell_ is going on Tori?" Silence reigned, the intensity of it grew stronger until Liam was pacing his room kneading his hands through his hair,

"I was gone for a year Liam," Tori finally allowed. It was time, she couldn't hide anymore, "Where do you think I was all that time?"

"Gone? New York? I don't know! What does that have to do with _anything?"_

"Oh Liam, it has everything to do with everything," Tori said. She told him. Every detail that she could regarding Mac, her chip, her disappearance, Maud, Max's and Jess's deaths, and why she stayed in Gotham. Throughout the story Liam got paler and paler before he slumped into a sitting position on his desk chair,

"You stayed in Gotham to keep us safe?" he said finally, something of awe in his voice, "I thought you just wanted to spend time with your brother—is he even your half-brother?"

"The reasons were both true, Mac and the Lab just added on," Tori said. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her hands tucked away so Liam wouldn't see them shake as she told him her story,

"Yeah, because you're _so_ credible?" Liam snapped,

"I did this all to keep you safe!" Tori snipped,

"Then why did you come to London?" he demanded, "If you were trying to keep us out of some lunatics sights, why did you travel all the way here?"

"Dr. King," Liam's eyes widened further and he paled even more,

"What about her?" he asked carefully,

"I guess you've read the paper? It's all over the news. Dr. King from BioTech Industry is giving a conference on some breakthrough. Cassidy King was in the Lab with Mac and I. She was his assistant who ran all those horrible and miserable tests on me to make my bionics work. I need to make sure this has nothing to do with the super soldiers and that there aren't any kids being experimented on," as Tori said this Liam turned even paler if possible,

"Oh no…oh _God_ no," he whispered miserably,

"What is it? What's wrong?" Liam swallowed and looked at Tori pleadingly,

"If only you had told me sooner," he said shaking his head, which was in his hands,

"What is it Liam? You're scaring me,"

"I work for BioTech," he said, standing up and pacing again. His hands moved to kneading his hair as well, faster and faster the more anxious he got. He watched her, looking for a reaction. Tori felt a magnitude of emotions. Anger, confusion, betrayal, understanding…many of them unmentionable…she didn't know which was more dominate and she didn't know what to make of this information. Her brain on the other hand, moved forward…she loved her super brain sometimes,

"Then you can get me in," she said,

"What?" Liam said, "I just dropped the biggest F-bomb in the world on you and that's what you have to say?"

"Look, I'm tired of living with Mac the monkey on my back. I want him out and if he is working with Dr. King on some secret super army, I need to know so I can tell Br—BatInc. They can get the Justice League and end this. I'll be free…bionic…but free. I can't let something you did because you didn't know the full story affect my goals. Yes I am angry, but you didn't know…and…, you're my brother. Blood is thicker than water. I don't care who you work for, as long as you do something positive with the knowledge you just obtained," Liam blinked…then frowned,

"That's not all,"

"Oh great, what is it?"

"I…um…did a little unauthorized hacking into some of the files at BioTech. I got put on probation, but that's not significant. Dr. King has a secret lair. There's a special key and everything. I got the real schematics for BioTech Tower and then managed to hack the electronics of the door and I nearly got inside, but I was caught. I guess I internally knew something was odd about BioTech and Dr. King's work. I got a glimpse of the room before these really big scary security dudes dragged me away,"

"What did you see?" Tori asked, her heart pounding,

"These weird glass tubes…and a bunch of photos. They're of kids, taped to pieces of papers that looked like rep sheets,"

"Progress logs," Tori murmured automatically, "I was right,"

"Then call home and let the B-man take these bastards out!"

"Why didn't you tell the police!?" Tori demanded, avoiding the statement from before,

"Um…I was threatened. Dr. King said she wouldn't fire me when she heard my reasons for not firing me, but she said if I snooped again—worse things would happen not to me but my family," Liam said, putting his head in his hands for the billionth time that day, "That's why I freaked when Cameron nearly got hit. I thought it was King. All I could think in that moment was my little brother's going to be killed…and it's all my fault," Tori bit her lip,

"It was an accident. It wasn't King—that's not her style. What were your reasons for staying?"

"I needed to get tuition money. I want to go to College in America, not in London like Arthur wants," Liam stated,

"You mean in Gotham," Tori said,

"I need to know what got mom and Max killed that night,"

"I see, about tha—,"

"Aren't you going to call BatInc or something?" Liam asked, interrupting her,

"Um…I can't really do that. It's not like there's a number I can call,"

"You live with the guy who funds the damn incorporation!"

"If I tell Bruce I came here and discovered this…he'd be really mad…and him getting mad is like baby Chuck Norris throwing a tantrum—it's not good!"

"That's a stupid excuse!" Tori ignored him, she needed to pull through with her plan, but how? Suddenly an idea came,

"Tell me how to access that secret lair. I'll do a quick search in and out during the conference when everyone's paying attention to her big new invention. They'll never know. I need evidence if I'm going to call Bruce," Liam shook his head,

"You don't know the building like I do. Or where King keeps the key. Only I do,"

"And how do you know that?"

"I'm her assistant,"

"Wow, you're in high places,"

"Why do you think I'm so tired all the time. She's so high maintenance it's like I'm taking care of a baby," Tori laughed, she couldn't help it,

"So tell me where she keeps it and I'll do it,"

"No. I'm coming with you,"

"Liam, I'm pretty sure an assistant will be required during the meeting," Tori said, trying to keep him out of this. No one else in this family was going to get hurt because of her,

"Why go during the conference when you can go sooner, after hours?" Liam said, holding up his ID card.

A/N: Okay, so Liam knows! How many of you who read this figured out what the 'big company' Liam worked for was earlier on in this chapter? I want to know that way I can make my big reveals less obvious later on :)

Also, I figured Cameron would have a little grudge against Batman who did not stop the murder of his biological parents. It makes sense right? The hero of your city stops all sorts of crimes but not your own parents murder, he'd have a right to be a little mad.

Next chapter on Monday! REVIEW!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 16

Sneaking out was not a problem. Arthur went to sleep insanely early, both Ali and Cameron had bedtimes and Liam could do whatever he wanted regarding sleep. They walked right out the front door. Liam and Tori ran through the City of London. It was a long run, and Tori, who had not required the need to actually run on her own without her super speed, was having a tough time keeping up with her older brother. She had to stop a block away from BioTech Tower, her lungs were aching and she had about five cramps,

"You're bionic! Aren't you supposed to be more…well…bionic?" Liam asked, casually leaning against the wall of some building. He didn't even look winded. Damn long distance runners. Tori glared at him as she panted, her knees bent with a hand on her ribs and a hand on the wall. Sweat was also accumulating, she was not in the most comfortable circumstance—but this was her chance at stopping Mac once and for all and she couldn't chicken out because she was a lousy runner,

"I'm a gymnast, not a distance runner," she snapped, still glaring as Liam adjusted his black beanie with a roll of his eyes. His blond hair stood out like a sore thumb, but they'd both dressed in low key black to remain stuck within the shadows as much as possible,

"You play soccer, you run in that sport,"

"That's short bursts,"

"Excuses,"

"Shut up, let's go," she growled before breaking off into a solid run again. They were only a block away, she could handle the pressures of running through a crowded, car filled, left side driving roads and people honking their horns. They zig-zagged through nighttime traffic and around pedestrians, tourists and people yakking on their cell phones until they finally, finally reached BioTech Tower.

It was a truly large building. Twenty-eight floors in all and filled to the brim with cutting edge technology and biology labs. The scientists in the building may or may not be unknowingly creating an army of superhuman soldiers strong enough to wipe out a military or two, especially if Tori's abilities were only the surface of what she could gain. The tower itself was just a black building with bits of green meshed in. It was very modern looking and bringing on an 'alien' structure vibe with it. To Tori, it was the key to the end of her fears, to everyone else, it was a science and technology based company that wanted to heal the sick, weak and disabled with a combination of science and technology. Tori knew the truth behind this industry and intended on shutting it down,

"It looks like dad's building," Liam said quietly. He was looking up at the tower, his expression nostalgic. Tori looked at him with an eyebrow raised. He never called Max dad,

"Peter?" she asked, Liam nodded,

"I thought it was strange at first. But then decided I was imagining it…but after I'd started working here for a while I got the PierceDrakeIndustries schematics…they were nearly identical,"

"It's not surprising since Peter created the chip in the first place," Liam looked at her, shock the only emotion on his face,

"What?" he choked out. Tori sighed,

"He intended its uses to be for a noble and good cause…but decided it wasn't ready for society. It was too dangerous with too many variables he couldn't account for so he discontinued the project and started something else. Mac stole his design and a lot of Peter's workers and created his own use for the chip. He thought it was poetic justice that one of his 'brats' was the first success. That was before the world knew I was actually Jack Drake's daughter," she said,

"Shit just keeps piling up huh?" Liam said, "Are you sure you're the only one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…I mean, there are others supposedly otherwise why keep the progress logs taped up. There are others, but we don't know how long they've been there," Tori bit her lip in thought, worried by that revelation,

"Mac…in a memory did say that 'half' the others died, not all of them. He must've made more after I was successful,"

"That means there are children…maybe some teens and adults locked away in some secret lab learning who knows what for who knows what," Liam said. His expression turned stormy, "And to think I thought working here would make a difference in the world. Instead it's just turning innocent people into soldiers for world domination,"

"We don't know what they're being taught. Let's not make assumptions just yet. We can still save them," Tori said, gazing up at the tower. Liam nodded before taking his backpack off and pulling out his computer. Tori herself was a very skilled hacker, thanks to her previous knowledge of computers and to her bionic brain. Liam on the other hand, had never told anyone of his skill with the computer keyboard,

"I didn't know you were this good with the computer," Tori said,

"What did you think I did the six months after mom, Max and Jess were murdered—cry in my closet?" Liam said shortly, "Someone wanted them dead…I wanted to know why. That's why I want to go back to Gotham," Tori frowned,

"It wasn't Mac," she said continuing what she'd been trying to tell him before. Liam didn't show anything, he just returned his eyes to his computer screen. Tori was getting antsy people would start to notice them, standing outside a big important building, dressed in black with a computer looking all suspicious soon. They needed to move, especially before daylight returned,

"Then who did it?" Liam asked randomly. Tori glanced at him before turning her attention back to the few people who were walking home for the evening,

"I don't know. Mac could have hired someone, someone could have framed him…it could have been one of Max's gambling buddies. It's unclear," Liam sighed before shutting his computer and sliding it back in his bag,

"That should loop all security footage for the next two hours. I don't know how long this will take because there are still security guards patrolling so we'll need to be careful. If it take longer than two hours, I'll loop the footage again," he said, "Now let's—" Tori interrupted him, she had a thought,

"What floor is King's office on?" a very dangerous one…possibly,

"Twenty-third," Liam said, "Tori listen we need a—," but it could be a good one if it worked,

"How many windows across?" she interrupted him again,

"Eight," he responded automatically. Part of her briefly wondered how he'd memorized the exact floor it was on before she grabbed his arm,

"Wait, Tori what are you _DOING!"_ the last part came as a yell as Tori pulled him with her through the strange and slightly terrifying change of geo-leaping up twenty-three floors and eight windows across.  
Tori realized her mistake too late. Geo-leaping requires the person to create the exact location of where they want to go in their mind before leaping. Tori did that…but it was the outside she had pictured…not the inside. She got a glimpse of a desk, a coffee table with some comfy plush chairs and a coffeemaker on top of some ground cabinets before gravity took place again and she started to fall, her brother screaming next to her, flailing as the ground started to come closer and closer,

"Shitshitshitshit!" she muttered under her breath as the chilly wind whipped through her hair. Liam was still screaming and flailing next to her. She reached out to him and got clawed at and smacked. She glared at him, ignoring the sensation of falling and the impending death looming for them both,

"I'm trying to save your life!" she snapped,

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS!" he yelled. Tori ignored him and grabbed his hand firmly before closing her eyes and geo-leaping once more. They landed on a plush carpet stumbling forward and onto their faces as the gravity once more changed for them. Liam fell on his face still screaming,

"Shut up!" Tori snapped, "We'll be made if you keep this up," Liam scrambled to his feet, glaring at her his face red with either anger or embarrassment—she wasn't quite sure—as he fixed his shirt,

"I'd rather you didn't kill us before we actually shut King and BioTech down," he hissed,

"This was so much faster and avoided all those guards you said were patrolling the building," she hissed back moving to Dr. King's desk,

"Next time, we're doing it my way," Liam stated flatly, before shrugging off his backpack again,

"You say that like we'll go breaking and entering again," Tori mused lightly,

"Don't touch anything," Liam snapped as she moved to open the cabinets,

"We need the damn key!" Tori hissed, trying to keep her voice down, she needed and wanted this done,

"Well if you want the police to come due to the alarms on all the drawers and cabinets in this office so that no one would get the damn key, go right ahead," Liam said before he started to type. Tori pulled her hand away from the drawer handle. Liam looked pale and worried,

"Are you okay with this?" she asked, listening to the light tapping of the keys as his fingers flew,

"Okay with what? The fact that my sister is now bionic due to a chip implanted by an evil madman who my boss works for with schematics of a chip and building that my own father created? Oh yeah, I'm totally fine with that," he drawled with a bitter laugh at the end,

"You didn't have to come and do this. I'm sorry I ever got you involved with this," Tori said. Honestly she felt horrible. Liam had enough baggage to last a lifetime and she had just added her baggage as well, the weight has got to be crippling,

"Tori, you're my sister…my half-sister albeit…but I'd do anything for you. Had I known you were kidnapped and not dead I would have found you and rescued you myself. Not sure how I would have done it, but I would have attempted it. Sure it's a lot to handle and I've felt like shit these past few months as it is, but I can handle this…nothing can phase me now. As for involving me, I involved myself the moment I took this stupid job. I might not have realized it, but I did. I even found their lair without even meaning to. If I hadn't been caught I would have discovered the truth anyway. Call it fate or whatever," he said before closing the laptop, "All done, it's in the top drawer with the keypad on it. I've disabled that as well, it should just open," Tori took a deep breath and pulled open the indicated drawer, bracing her sensitive ears for loud alarms and sirens but none came. Opening her eyes she found Liam mock glaring at her,

"Doubt me did you?" he asked, Tori rolled her eyes before taking the keycard to the secret lair and handing it to him,

"Okay, let's gather every detail they've got and destroy all their plans," she said, now came the hard part. Getting to the lair without being caught by the security team.

* * *

Silently Liam opened the door and darted to the end of the hallway, Tori on his tail. The offices and labs were dark, just as the hallways were but that didn't mean they weren't at extreme risk out in the open hallways. They both peeked out around the corner, Liam's head just above her's. After looking both ways they darted to another hallway, Liam in front since he knew where the secret room was,

"Are you sure your loops will hold?" Tori asked, her voice barely a whisper,

"I know their computer system like it's the back of my hand. After I found out about the secret room I couldn't not know what it was for. I tried to figure it out but I couldn't, though I did learn a lot about their mainframe, hardware and software systems," Liam explained, his voice just as quiet, before darting down another hallway. Tori quickly followed him,

"That's a double negative," she whispered,

"Shut up," Liam monotoned, shooting her a glare before starting down another hallway, they were halfway down it when they saw the glare of a flashlight moving down the hallway they were going to turn into. Liam and Tori scrambled to move behind some filing cabinets that lined the wall. They pressed themselves next to the wall, holding their breath as the light came closer and closer. Tori was pretty sure they were going to be made, they would be caught and sent to jail or recaptured by Cassidy and Mac, when the guard turned back and headed down the hallway he had just come from,

"Nothing here, over," he muttered into his walkie talkie. Tori let out a sigh of relief before following Liam down the hallway opposite to the one the guard took,

"This place is like a maze," Tori muttered,

"I know, it took me months to get used to this place," Liam said, "We're almost there, just a little bit more and—ah! Here we go," Liam came to a stop in front of a wall,

"This is a wall," Tori said, looking at Liam in confusion,

"It's a disguised doorway," Liam said, "Straight out of a sci-fi movie," he placed the keycard over a little hole in the wall, almost invisible unless you knew where to look and a door appeared like it had been there the whole time. It opened revealing the exact replica of the Lab.

Tori felt goosebumps form on her arms and her hands start to shake…she had come back to this place on purpose and now she was wondering if it was a good idea. Shaking her head and steeling her nerves she stepped through the threshold, Liam right behind her. The door closed and it was just them in the Lab.

The room was huge, it looked like it took up four whole offices, it was as large as any of the technological and Biological labs on different floors of the building. The walls were a pristine white, just like the one Tori had been in, glass tubes at the center, computers lined up on benches and tables around the room. CyberDesks and devices scattered around as well. The tubes were empty at the moment, but on the wall adjacent to them, there were papers…progress logs. Many, many, many of them, all of children Mac had implanted chips into. Tori didn't know how many survived and how many didn't, she just knew she needed to find them and bring Mac and Cassidy to justice. Whether or not the justice Batman had in mind was what she wanted for them. Tori shook her head, whoa, where had that come from? Instead of puzzling over it she hurried to the progress logs and started snapping pictures on her phone,

"Drop the phone Tori," a voice said from behind her. Tori swung around to see Cassidy, along with several men surrounding her. How had they sneaked up on her? Liam was struggling against a very strong guard who had an arm around his throat and a gun to his head, "Drop it, or we drop your brother," she said again, in her monotone voice. Tori felt her fingers uncurl unwillingly from the phone. It clattered to the floor. Cassidy held a gun as well, it was pointed at her chest,

"Are you going to drop your first success?" Tori asked, glaring at the woman. She would never admit it, but her heart raced with fear when she saw the woman who assisted the man in implanting the chip into her. That emotion disgusted her, she didn't want to fear these people, but it was all she felt. Fear for herself and fear for her brother…but also under all that fear, an unyielding amount of anger,

"We have others. Thanks to your success, we found the hole in the operation. We got more candidates and implanted chips in them as well. It was you who spurred the greatest revolution in history," Cassidy said,

"Revolution? More like domination. I don't know what your plan is, but I know it will just end in chaos," Tori said,

"You must have questions don't you? I could answer them, all you need to do is give me that phone," Cassidy said, "I bet you're wondering where Mac is, who funded us and why the funders decided to kill your parents," Tori couldn't help but wince at the mention of Mac's name and be intrigued at the fact that there was someone who funded them and that those same funders killed her parents. Tori bit her lip,

"Why were they killed?"

"I tell you what I know, you hand over the phone," Cassidy said,

"…fine. But you first," Cassidy rolled her eyes,

"Fine. We borrowed money from a powerful organization. They intended for us to share our findings and pay back the money we owed them. Mac refused to do either. I thought it was foolish, but I have no say in the decision of his crusade. They wanted the money, Mac wouldn't give and what better way than taking it out on that successes family. They wanted you to out us to the world. Thankfully, you didn't have enough evidence, proof or memories to do any of that. We ensured any evidence of who we were was erased from your memories. The funders didn't know that…in fact, they didn't know a lot of things. They're angry, but they stick mostly in Gotham which is why we relocated here…out of their reach. We were safe and your parents were…well…dead. Collateral damage,"

"Why? Why do any of this?" Tori asked, still not stepping forward. Cassidy shrugged,

"I'm just the head scientist making Mac's 'discovery' a reality and giving our project the PR it needs. White lies certainly go a long way don't they? The world wanted cures and solutions to health issues—I'm sure you notice you haven't gotten sick since you've had the chip implanted—the chips were a way to do just that and so much more. To the public, the chips are the way to heal their loved ones and children with terminal illnesses. To Mac and I they're a way to rid the world of all weakness and step over the line on the ground that separate us normal people from the meta-humans. Meta-humans aren't the only ones worthy of powers, everyone is just as capable. We are giving them that, just with a little twist, a little sacrifice,"

"Their free will," Tori sniped, Cassidy rolled her eyes, the gun unwavering and still pointed at Tori,

"People, super-soldiers, unknowingly submitting themselves into battle and with just a push of a button Mac will have full control, that's all the sacrifice there is. We have to train the ones we have first and then reveal our successes to the public of course, and erasing their memories help a whole lot in that process…but soon, our army will be complete and we will end the differences between them and us," Cassidy said with a shrug. Nothing sparked or changed in her dead emotionless eyes. Tori knew that the only reason she told her tale was because she thought she had won and would erase her memories and probably kill Liam. Tori felt her blood boil in rage,

"Power down, I see your eyes turning red," Cassidy said, Tori didn't stop. She was just about to hit Cassidy with her heat vision when a gun went off. Tori shut down immediately and panicked slightly, thinking her brother had been killed when she heard the crunch of concrete and realized it was a bullet embedding itself in the wall behind her, "That was a warning shot, next time, the wall will be your brother," Tori shook her head to clear her thoughts. Shocked that she had actually thought of hitting her with her heat vision…she was mad at the woman, infuriated, but not that much. Slowly she picked up the phone and slowly started across the room. The nearer she got to Cassidy, the closer she got to her brother, who still struggled against his captor, his eyes wheeling around wildly as if trying to find a way out. She was so close to Cassidy, who held her hand out for the device that when she acted, it worked perfectly. Tori kicked upward, smacking into Cassidy's hand and sending her reeling backwards by the force. Tori then leapt at Liam, grabbed his arm and geo-leaped just as the guard pulled the trigger.

Tori stumbled as they landed on solid ground again in the hallway outside of the secret room. Liam stumbled more than Tori but righted himself before patting himself down with a stunned look on his face,

"I'm alive!" he said,

"Good to know," Tori said, "We need to go, now!" they both turned to leave only to find themselves surrounded by guards with guns,

"Freeze!" one of them said,

"Shit!" Liam hissed. Tori moved into what she remembered from her little memories of karate as a fighting stance, prepared to do whatever it took to get her brother and the phone out of the building. Before anyone could make a move gunshots rung out and each of the men crumple to the ground with cries of pain, clutching their knees or shoulders. Tori and Liam spin around to face the other end of the hallway where to their utter surprise—the Red Hood stood, his guns still smoking. Liam let out a 'manly' yelp and cried,

"Shit, he's here to kill us!"

"Red! What are you doing here?" Tori demanded, she was furious that he had found out where she was, insanely grateful for it now…but still angry. If he was here that meant that Bruce probably knew why she really went to London and even worse…Tim knew,

"Saving your asses, now c'mon," Jason growled, stowing his guns in their holsters and sprinting down the hall. Tori started after him. Liam, after a second's hesitation followed just as the secret door opened—guess they finally figured out they were right outside,

"You know this guy!" he cried as they sprinted through the maze of hallways. Jason seemed to have a pretty good idea of where he was going,

"Sort of?" Tori replied, huffing as she ran. Jason led them down a few more confusing turns before throwing open a door which revealed stairs and starting up them,

"Where are we going!" Tori called up to him. She was so tired of running, she missed her super-speed,

"Up," was all he said, "We need to get out into the open otherwise we'll never get away from them," Finally, after many, many endless stairs they arrived at the last door possible. Jason kicked open the door and ran through it. Tori did as well but turned to the left, thinking it was just another floor but all she met was the edge of the freaking building and air! Tori's heart flared with panic as she started to flail for balance. Just as she pitched forward an arm snaked its way around her waist and pulled her back to safety. The arm spun her around and she found herself face to face with Jason…or rather his helmet,

"What is with you?" he demanded, "do you have a death wish?"

"Only on Tuesdays," she smarted,

"Funny," he deadpanned. His face was inches from her's and his hands gripped the tops of her arms as if he thought she'd fall if he let go. The sound of pinging and a cry of pain from Liam broke them apart,

"Liam!" Tori cried running over to him, he clutched his shoulder while Jason cursed and slammed the door closed. It did little against the bullets. He pulled back and kicked the knob off the door before turning to them,

"This is just great. I am not supposed to be in London. If we are caught here there will be monumental international, maybe even global problems, complaints and issues. So we need a way off this roof now,"

"I thought you brought us up here because it was out in the open, I thought you'd have a way out,"

"Did you have a way out when you came stupidly barging in here?" Jason demanded, he sounded ticked off at the fact that she did this. Tori didn't exactly blame him but it pissed her off that he was ticked off,

"What would you do if you knew you had a chance to stop some super human army before it even became an army? This whole industry is a front to create super humans and I have proof now!" Tori said holding up her phone, "Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do anything in your power to stop this…especially if you were unwilling a member of that army," Jason stared at her, all of them ignoring the pellets of bullets and banging on the door, before letting you a breath and saying,

"I'd probably barge in here too. I get it, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to get off this roof. I usually have a grappling hook with me but I dropped it hanging—ah, taking care of a particular pesky guard—," Jason stuttered,

"You're fucking friends with the fucking Red Hood who fucking kills people?" Liam groaned from his crumpled spot on the floor,

"Are you forgetting that the fucking Red Hood who fucking kills people can fucking _hear_ you and already saved your fucking life once today. I can easily change that,"

"Red, stop," Tori snapped, "That is not helping," they all winced as a piece of wood flew from the door,

"How the fuck did you get up here?" Jason asked, "I had to drop down from my friend's spaceship,"

"You're friend has a spaceship?" Liam asked as Tori stated,

"What friend?"

"Never mind," Jason sighed, "We need to hurry," Tori bit her lip, trying to get her super brain to think of a way out of this mess. Suddenly a thought struck her,

"I have an idea. We can geo-leap from the roof to the area we stopped at about a block from here. After that I can get us into Liam's room at Arthur's flat,"

"I thought only you can geo-leap," Jason said,

"I can take people,"

"When did you discover that?" Jason wondered,

"YOU GEO-LEAPED WITHOUT KNOWING YOU CAN TAKE ME!" Liam burst out, "Ow! Fuck," he groaned, still clutching his wound…which was still bleeding,

"You used your own brother as a guinea pig?" Jason asked,

"Oh don't start with me, we have no time to be mad at me, let's go!" Tori said, grabbing Liam and forcing him to stand. Jason grabbed firmly onto her forearm and Tori transported them away right was the door shattered apart. They stumbled to reality a block away before leaping back to Arthur's flat and their safety. The world not knowing what they've just done.

A/N: I had so much fun writing this chapter. Cassidy was an idiot explaining her and Mac's plan to them, but most villains do that anyway-except Scar, he just said a simple one liner and killed Mufasa...he was the shit.

Next chapter on Friday! REVIEW!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 17

"I cannot believe you fucking came here," Jason hissed to her as they shuffled around the kitchen,

"I cannot believe you came all the way here. How the hell did you even know I was here?" Tori demanded, slightly louder than she should be talking,

"I found your crumpled up newspaper in the garbage outside the Manor," Jason said, "BioTech was a pretty big giveaway. _Bio_ Tech, _Bio_ nics. The symbol on the podium for the lady in the photo was the same as the one we found in the lab we trashed searching for you,"

"Congrats, your observation skills are superb Mr. Detective," Tori smarted, still annoyed at the fact that she'd been found out,

"You're impossible," he muttered, pulling open a drawer and closing it in frustration,

"Hey, what were you even doing at the Manor?" Tori demanded, opening a cabinet and sticking her head inside for a better look,

"I drop presents off every year under the tree…it's kind of become a tradition,"

"Ah yes, another thing spurred because of my disappearance,"

"Actually it was spurred because of my death and refusal to do things on Batman's terms," Jason stated,

"Oh," Tori said somewhat awkwardly, pulling her head from the cabinet before opening the fridge,

"What the hell are you doing?" Jason demanded,

"Getting a drink, I am exhausted from all that running we did," Tori said, pulling out one of Ali's Ribena drinks…a new addiction waiting to happen, those things were good,

"We are looking for medical supplies for your brother who got shot because of you, not rooting around the fridge for refreshments," Tori glared at him as she chugged half the bottle,

"You are just so good at laying on the guilt. I actually did pretty good work today despite nearly getting captured and killed. I got physical evidence on my phone—,"

"—of documents in a building you broke into without a warrant, the police can't use that," Jason interrupted,

"Batman does it all the time!" Tori cried,

"Shhh!" Jason hissed, they both quieted and listened to the sleeping flat, waiting for footsteps or angry voices. When none came Jason turned to another cabinet and opened it, "Batman technically works with the police, besides he works in _Gotham_ with the _Gotham_ police. I'm pretty sure his jurisdiction ends once Gotham does, let alone a London Corporation," Tori deflated,

"So we're back to square one, nowhere to go and nothing to do. Should I just accept my fate of a super soldier and start destroying things?"

"Not at all, fight it with everything you have," Jason said, "Just because your doorway and window don't work doesn't mean you can't grab a sledge hammer and bash a window for yourself. We have names and a location, something that would have been useful if _shared,_ " Jason said giving her a pointed look. He'd taken off his helmet and put on the mask the second they all collapsed on Liam's bed from the geo-leap…Liam and Tori too exhausted to move. Tori from using so much of her energy geo-leaping not once but four times total with people added on as baggage and Liam from his wound, "The Justice League can probably get involved, especially since this involves children, teens and adults all over the world. Just because your evidence won't work doesn't mean theirs won't work either," Tori blinked at him as he bent down to open the bottom cupboards,

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"What are you talking about, a second ago you were saying I was making you feel guilty,"

"That's not what I mean. You told me that you were dangerous and unstable and mean—and Tim told me about the time you nearly beat him to death—yet you came here and helped me," Jason stopped his rustling to poke his head back out again,

"So he told you that did he? And you still aren't scared silly of me?"

"You're still here aren't you?" Tori replied, "I haven't screamed bloody murder or called the cops have I?"  
"Well Ali might if you keep all this noise up," a voice by the archway dividing the kitchen from the dining room said. Jason pulled a gun out and Tori spun around to see Cameron standing in the archway rubbing his eyes sleepily,

"Jason, put your gun away! It's my baby brother!" she hissed, "Cam, what are you doing up?"

"I heard voices and things being banged around…came to investigate," Tori heard Jason chuckle in the background,

"Looks like you have your own detective in the family," he muttered. Tori shushed him and knelt down to eye level with Cameron,

"Okay, listen to me. Liam and I went out tonight and brought a friend home. You can't tell Uncle Arthur about this okay? And you can't tell Ali about him either…got it?" Cameron looked over at Jason behind her shoulder,

"Of course I can't tell Uncle Arthur, if he knew you had a boy over that carried guns he'd have us all kicked out,"

"Well…that's true—go back to bed kiddo," Tori said, turning him around and shoving him in the direction of his room, "This is a dream—oh and would you happen to know where the first aid kit is?"

"In the third cabinet to the right," Cameron said sleepily as he left,

"Of course it's in the one cabinet we didn't look through," Jason muttered, putting his gun away and pulling the thing out,

"Why did you pull out a gun. We're in our uncle's flat!" Tori demanded,

"I thought a goon followed us back,"

"I geo-leaped us here, she can't find us," Tori said,

"But if she gets by the EMP, and tracks your chip, it's best you're in Gotham. We don't want to lead them back here," Jason said. Tori blanched, Jason was right, "Christmas is in three days, be back by Christmas day and maybe they'll still be safe. She's probably ruthless now that you escaped after she revealed her whole entire plan to you because she thought she had you cornered," Jason continued,

"Ali will hate me," she sighed, "but you're right, it's for the best. It was stupid to come here," Tori hated it but she teared up a bit, "I guess I knew that it would be the last time I actually got to see them—," she hiccuped as she tried to disguise a sob. Tori started to turn away from Jason; she didn't want him to see her like this, but a hand still found it's way on her shoulder before she could fully turn away,

"Hey, this is not forever," Jason said, "We promised we would find a way and we will. No matter what it takes, and if Bruce or the others can't completely promise that…then _I_ will Tori. I promise I will find a way for you and your family to be just that: a family…by any means necessary," Tori didn't need to see his eyes to know how sincere he was being, and for some reason she knew that he'd only say that to her, and for her. Her heart soared and she couldn't help but throw her arms around him in a hug. Jason stiffened before carefully, albeit shyly returning it. Turning her head to the side on his chest she looked up at him,  
"Thank you," she whispered, before quickly pulling away, "Sorry…I'm a hugger!" she called back softly as she danced down to Liam's room. Jason stood where he was for a moment more before following after her.

* * *

"What the hell took you two so long," Liam groaned from his spot on his bed. He had an arm flung over his face and in his pale lamp-light his forehead shined with sweat. Liam's other arm held a piece of already crimson stained cloth over where the bullet wound was,

"Sorry, but it would have been more helpful had you known where the first aid kit was seeing as neither of us live here," Jason muttered, tossing the thing on the nightstand by the bed. He then pulled out his version of a utility belt and dug through a pocket. Tori sat on the edge of the bed and carefully removed the cloth. It was disgusting to look at and it made Tori's stomach roll slightly, worst of all it reminded her of her surgery…the one where she got the chip in, the one where it was removed and though she didn't really remember it, the one where it was put back in. Tori gasped slightly and shoved the cloth back in Liam's hand before getting up and walking to the window, forcing it open,

"You okay?" Jason asked, still riffling through his belt,

"Oh yeah, fine…just wanted some fresh air,"

"I can see your hands shaking," he said, still not looking up. Tori shot him a glare and shoved her hands behind her back,

"I cannot believe I just hugged you before," she muttered,

"You hugged him?" Liam cried, jerking up slightly, "Ow! Fuck!" he groaned,

"Don't move idiot," Jason said, "Did it go all the way through?"

"I beg your pardon?" Liam asked,

"Did the bullet go through?"

"I have no idea! This is the first time I've been shot! How would I know that!" Jason rolled his eyes before grabbing Liam by his good shoulder and pulling him forward,

"Hey— _ow!_ Stop it!" Liam cried, struggling slightly while Jason peered at his wounded shoulder. He let Liam go and he collapsed into his pillows and his head unceremoniously crashed into the headboard,

"Ow! _Shit!"_ he groaned,

"Hey, be gentle," Tori said,

"Not my fault he has no bodily coordination other than running and other track type shit," Jason said, "It didn't go through…that sucks,"

"W-why?" Liam asked,

"'Cause I'm gonna have to pull it out," Jason said, pulling out a pair of tweezers, a lighter, some surgical string and then disappeared to the kitchen again,

"W-what's he doing?" Liam asked,

"I don't know," Tori said. Before long Jason returned with a bottle of Balkan Vodka,

"Who knew your Uncle had such taste in Vodka," Jason said, grinning like a wolf, "Drink up Forest Gump, this is gonna hurt otherwise,"

"You have got to be kidding me," Liam and Tori said as one,

"Nope. You don't have to, but I don't think Uncle Artie will be too happy seeing me, a bottle of his Vodka and a wounded child when he comes running due to your screams," Liam gulped before steeling his nerves,

"Hand over the bottle,"

"Atta boy," Jason said, popping the top off for him. Liam chugged half of the bottle in less than five minutes and was totally drunk by sixth minute*,

"Okay, that should do it," Jason said, "Hold him down while I sterilize the tweezers,"

"Um…okay," Tori said. She didn't like the fact that the hands holding her neck in place creeped into her mind as she did so, she could almost feel them clutching at her shoulders and head like phantoms, and she shuddered because of it,

"I know you must be thinking of…before Tori, but this is your brother and we don't know where that bullet has been. We need to get it out of him before it does anymore damage," Jason said, his hand over the cloth that was stopping the blood, tweezers in hand,

"I know…I-I'm fine," she said, only stuttering a little. To make up for it she gave him a small glare. Rolling his eyes Jason tore away the cloth and stuck the tweezers into her brother's skin. Liam groaned and mumbled a little in his drunken state, but didn't scream or cry out as Jason dug around in his shoulder for the bullet. His moans started to get louder the longer it was on though,

"Almost there Gump, you're doing great," Jason muttered, wiggling the tweezers around, "got it," he said finally and yanked, somewhat gently, the bullet out of Liam's shoulder. It caused a small yelp, but it wasn't too loud. Jason then quickly disinfected the thing, which caused some groans, and a burp or two before finally stitching the wound closed. Tori had to say it was interesting seeing Jason work so diligently to fix up her brother,

"Thanks for doing this," she said, sitting on the edge of her brother's bed,

"Least I can do. Bullets hurt like a bitch,"

"I bet you run into that quite a lot," she said,

"What gave it away? What I do at night or the fact that I know what to do when shot?"

"Both," Tori stated. Jason got up and wiped his hands on his pants before grabbing the bottle and shoving gauze into Tori's hands, "Wrap his shoulder as tightly as possible. He's totally passed out right now so we won't need to worry about immobilizing his arm now—though I would recommend turning him on his side so if he vomits he won't choke on it, that would put all my hard work to a complete waste—you'll do that tomorrow," he then left the room again. Tori did as he asked. Jason then returned with a bucket in hand,

"What's that for?"

"Tomorrow morning, the kid's a light weight and hasn't had a single alcoholic beverage in his life despite living in London where he can legally drink," Jason said, plopping the thing on the nightstand and tossing all the bloodied rags in the garbage can,

"What are we going to tell Arthur,"

"He went to a pub after curfew or whatever and angered the wrong guy. He then called you to take him home and with a few online searches found out what to do,"

"Do you really think Arthur would believe that?" Tori asked,

"He'll have to. There's no other explanation and if he pushes you, keep saying it until he finally believes it. The worst thing people can do when lying is to over explain. Make it short and simple and don't let up until he believes you," Jason said, putting on his belt and placing his helmet back on again,

"Are you leaving?" Tori asked,

"Yeah…I got a call from one of my friends—,"

"—the one with the spaceship?" Tori asked,

"Jealous?"

"A bit," Tori said a wry smile on her lips, "Thank you for coming…I would be back in the lab if you hadn't come,"

"I'm glad I got here in time. Now I really have to go, lives are at stake…a lot of them,"

"Where are you going? I know you travel a lot, but you still manage to show up around Gotham,"

"I'm a man of many talents…but turns out I'm heading back to Gotham again,"

"Then I guess I'll see you there in three days," Tori said,

"Maybe." was all Jason said before leaping out the open window. Tori raced to look out and catch a glimpse of him leaving, but she couldn't see anything,

"Damn…I gotta learn that trick." she muttered to herself before turning to sit in a chair by her brother. If he needed her, she'd be there…and if she needed someone, apparently Jason would be there—it was nice to know that, it made her feel safe.

A/N: Gotta say, this chapter and the last chapter were the most fun to write! Next Chapter on Monday! REVIEW!

* Okay, so I totally made up that time frame. I didn't want to do the math to find out how long it would take to get completely drunk from Vodka...all I knew is that there's a lot of alcohol in Vodka so I figured it wouldn't take that long. Bippity boppity boo, random time frame for drunkenness.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Enjoy!

Chapter: 18

Tori woke to the sound of retching, sitting up and working a rather painful crick out of her neck she looked to see Liam hanging off the side of his bed vomiting on the rug,

"You have got to be kidding me!" Tori cried, "Red got you a fucking bucket and you just go straight for the rug?" Liam shot her a particularly withered look before slumping back down in his bed,

"At the moment I am not in the mood for your stupid lecture sister dearest. I want a fucking Advil…and a sandwich," Tori glared at him,

"You'll get the Advil but not the sandwich, I'm not your bitch,"

"Thank God, you'd be a really bad one," Tori glared harder,

"Fine, if that's how you want to be, get the Advil yourself," Tori stated, "And put your arm in the sling yourself…oh and explain this all to Arthur yourself as well," Liam groaned from his bed,

"Fine…I'm soooorrrry, just please, please, _please_ get me some Advil," Tori got up and went to his bathroom, grabbing the medicine and shoving it in her brother's hand,

"You are an ass when you're hungover,"

"I'm in pain and it's not from the hangover," Liam stated, "give me a break," Tori sighed before taking her seat again, ignoring the stench of vomit on the floor. Silence reigned for a bit before Liam spoke again,

"Which one is he?" Liam asked,

"I beg your pardon?" Tori asked,

"Red Hood, which one of the Waynes is he?"

"I don't know what you mean," Tori said,

"Don't lie. You knew him and you live with the Waynes, it makes sense," Tori sighed,

"Batman is going to murder me when I get back,"

"Which one is he?" Liam asked. Tori sighed and explained everything to him. She even included some of her memories to him. Liam took it all pretty well,

"You know, I met Jason at a gala once when I was younger. He was like twelve and I was a year younger. I never thought of him to be a killer,"

"Well, he's been through a lot. I don't agree exactly with how he deals with criminals, but I don't blame him for it either," Liam nodded in silent agreement,

"You know, you and Jason were kind of friends before he 'died'. You met that same gala too, you were ten and always following me around then. Then after that you two just hung out. I know because I got a little annoyed that my little sister was friends with someone I'd been told to hang out with," Tori laughed before sighing,

"I don't remember that. Guess that's why he pretty much hates my guts," she said, then, "What?" at the expression Liam gave her, "What is it?"

"Hates your _guts?_ " Liam said astonished, "If someone hates your guts they don't fly in a friend's spaceship over the Atlantic to save you from evil scientists and then treat your older brother of a bullet wound. Those are the actions of someone who care about you a fucking lot," Tori couldn't help it, she felt her face flush. Liam was right…Jason had done all that so he couldn't hate her guts no matter how annoyed or sarcastic he was, it was probably just how he acted around people in general,

"He probably only did it because I'm his adopted brother's sister," Tori said,

"Sure, whatever…do you think you can clean up the vomit? It really smells," Tori glared at his splayed out form before getting up and hollering for Arthur. Right before he came in she shot Liam an evil, evil little glare.

* * *

"You're _leaving!"_ Ali cried, "It's not even officially Christmas Day yet! There are no flights!"

"Yes there are and if I want to beat the holiday circus at the airport I have to leave now," Tori said, shoving a shirt into her suitcase. Ali had been following Tori around the room as she packed, complaining in her ear like a little mosquito. The truth was more complicated than that. Tim had not FaceTimed her on Christmas Eve, she had waited till midnight and not even a text message. If her brother was in trouble and no one had told her…she would be royally pissed. She had called and texted Stephanie and even her best friend neither called nor texted her back. Tori was sick with worry and wasn't in the most festive mood because of it,

"I'll open my presents in Gotham," Tori said, shoving the gifts into her already overly stuffed bag,

"That's not the same!" Ali stated, "Why are you leaving!"

"I think my brother may be in some kind of trouble or danger and I really need to go home and see him," Tori allowed. Ali blinked at her,

"You barely know him and you're choosing him over us again!" she said,

"Did you not here the part about trouble and danger?" Tori asked, grabbing her toiletry bag,

"Excuse me for being offended, I grew up with you!"

"and I would do the same exact thing if I thought you were in trouble. Ali, this is London, you are in no danger her. Tim is in _Gotham,"_ Tori replied, Ali flinched back, biting her lip—maybe the Crownes and the Drakes both did that when worried—before scrunching up her face angrily,

"This isn't fair! You used to be different, you used to love hanging out with us! Now it's like you can't stand to be near us!" Ali exclaimed, tears in her eyes. She was tired and it was way past her bedtime. Ali had insisted on staying up with Tori so she could meet Tim. When it became clear he wasn't going to call or FaceTime and Tori decided to go back to Gotham, Ali had thrown a fit,

"That's not it and you know it!" Tori snapped back, "It's complicated way beyond just holidays and family time. Tim is in Gotham! It's dangerous there and I need to know why he's not communicating with me. It's not that I don't want to be here it's because I can't be here!"

"That doesn't make any sense. How does Tim possibly needing you make it so you can't be here?" Ali yelled back,

"Ali, let Tori go," Liam said from the doorway of the room, his arm was in a sling and he just looked extremely tired,

"No! She's my sister, and it's _Christmas!"_

"I'll explain it all to you Ali, I promise, just let Tori go,"

"Liam, we can't—," Tori started,

"—it'll make things easier this way. They'll understand why and there won't be this stupid fighting anymore. I'll tell them the truth and if the Big Guy wants to fry my guts with some super secret agent type gadget he can come here and do it himself,"

"He might actually do that…but okay. And thank you," Tori said, zipping up her bag and slinging it on her shoulder, "Tell Arthur and Cameron I say goodbye! And Ali, don't be mad at me. You'll understand soon enough." With that Tori geo-leaped to Wayne Manor.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the kind of sudden time skip. I didn't want to have to put three whole chapters in about what they did in London, that would just be boring so I just went to when Tori left. Maybe it didn't seem all that sudden or maybe you're mad at me for it, but what's done is done...sooooo REVIEW!

Next chapter on Friday!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 19

Tori arrived in the living room of Wayne Manor to find it completely trashed. Panic flared as she surveyed the rest of the room, her bag falling off her shoulder. Titus had not run out to great her, there was no sounds of brotherly fighting or Alfred dusting in the corner…the house was completely silent. She was too worried to even call out for them in case someone was still in the Manor. Tori jogged out of the living room and down a hallway, noting the claw marks on the walls and the broken suit of armor. Windows were broken and doors were smashed. Tori didn't look in any of the bedrooms, she didn't want to see if they were destroyed or not…this was horrible, what could have done this?

Tori finally arrived at Bruce's office only to find it completely trashed. Worst of all the clock was ripped from it's spot revealing the doors to the Batcave. Someone knew, someone ripped open the very doors that led to the biggest kept secret in the world. Was it Mac? Had he finally activated his super soldier army—but wouldn't she be a army solider right now if that were the case? This was something else entirely. Steeling her nerves Tori started down the stairs to the cave.

The cave was lit surprisingly…it didn't seem to be destroyed or changed one bit. The only differences was the giant penny, it appeared to have been flipped over…and the dinosaur had moved—actually moved. That freaked Tori out a bit, what if it had come to life and eaten everyone? She decided to keep her eyes on the giant thing the whole time. Looking around she didn't see anyone, the Batmobile was gone—which made sense seeing as it was still patrolling hours—but she needed to know where everyone was and that they were alright,

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing around the cave. Silence followed until finally,

"Tori?" she spun around trying to find the source of the voice until Tim appeared coming out of one of the rooms further back in the cave,

"Tim!" she cried running forward and throwing her arms around him in a hug,

"We weren't expecting you back until after tomorrow!" Tim said, hugging her back, apparently shocked at her sudden appearance,

"I'm sorry, but I got worried when you didn't FaceTime me and Stephanie didn't text back. I geo-leaped back and saw the trashed Manor and I got freaked out!" she babbled,

"You didn't have to drop everything and come here, we're fine,"

"Fine! The upstairs is trashed and where is Alfred!"

"Alfred is getting some supplies so we can repair the house and the clock,"

"What the hell happened?" Tori demanded. Tim bit his lip, looking around worriedly,

"Well…it happened a few days ago—,"

"—What happened a few days ago? Mac? Did he do this, was it—,"

"—No, Tori. Mac didn't do this," Tim said,

"Then who did?"

"Well…it's kind of hard to believe, but the Court of Owls did this," Tori blinked at Tim, not comprehending what he said,

"What?" she asked, thinking she heard wrong,

"The Court of Owls did this," Tim said again,

"I'm sorry, I've got to be mis-hearing this…a nursery rhyme destroyed the house?"

"Yeah…turned out that nursery rhyme is real…and they didn't just attacked us. They attack significant and important people in Gotham. They let out their Talons to kill them. We stopped them but a lot of them got away. Everyone else is out trying to find the ones that got away. I'm here to make repairs to the tech in the cave and to help out with communication since the computer is down," Tori shook her head,

"Wait hold on…the Talons are real? That creepy story my mother told me that sounds like a Santa Clause story gone wrong is real?"

"Yeah, I thought we established that…oh wait, speaking of your mom—,"

"—How is that possible? How did this happen!"

"Okay, I'm just going to tell you the whole story," Tim said, rolling his eyes. He did just that and it was such a strange story. The Court of Owls had existed in Gotham since colonial times in secret, killing people from the shadows controlling the elite and wealthy without the people knowing. Members of the upper class were a part of the Court of Owls and their Talons—assassins—were selected and trained in secret, then sent on missions to kill certain people. This all happened right under Batman's nose. The Talons can't feel pain, were incredible hard to kill and were frozen to live for centuries. Not only that but Bruce apparently had a younger brother who was a Talon as well and has escaped with the other Talons as well or is possibly dead, it is unclear which at the moment. It was all just too bizarre…a fairytale that Maud had used to scare her children into behaving turned out to be real,

"This—This is just so weird," Tori said, groaning and putting her head in her hands, "This is weirder than me having super powers,"

"It gets weirder," Tim said, "Okay, sorry, not weirder…depending on how you see it,"

"See what?" Tori asked, looking up at Tim who was smiling,

"Okay you see—actually, no, I'm not going to explain it. Nightwing is,"

"What why?"

"You'll see," Tim said, taking out his cell phone and dialing a number, "So, NW you know that thing you said you were going to tell Tori that was going to be difficult to tell after this whole mess was over and she came back…well she's here early so you get to tell her early too!" Tori couldn't really hear the response from Dick, "Okay, she'll geo-leap over,"

"He's on the roof of the cafe across from the park we used to roller skate in," Tim said,

"What does he need to tell me?"

"Go there and find out. It's good news, trust me…okay a little not good but mostly good!"

"You're freaking me out," Tori said,

"Just go!" Tim groaned. Tori sighed and with one last glance back geo-leaped to the roof he'd just mentioned. Time to find out something that was weird, good and bad at the same time…Tim didn't even need to mention how confusing it probably was going to be.

* * *

Dick was not prepared for Tori geo-leaping so suddenly onto the rooftop. He had been hoping he'd have more time to prepare what he was going to say…but she just suddenly appeared a few feet in front of him, scaring the shit out of him,

"Jesus, you're going to kill me one day," he said, actually moving his hand to his racing heart,

"Sorry, this has just been an insane night. First Tim tells me the Court of Owls are real and they attacked Gotham and now he's telling me you have some sort of good news to tell me? What is going on!" Dick didn't respond, just looked at her. It appeared so very clearly now that he knew the truth. Tori didn't just look like Maud or Jack, she looked like _him_. It wasn't just the eyes that were the same—the dark blue Grayson eyes—it was the way she held herself, the flexible limbs, her smile or smirk, the short but not stout stature and the lean muscle of a gymnast/acrobat. He didn't understand how no one noticed how similar the two of them were earlier. Sure her hair was lighter, but if they were seen from behind they could easily be mistaken as siblings,

"Nightwing? Are you going to talk or stare off into space?" Tori asked, biting her lip worried. Dick found himself doing the same, searching for the exact words to explain himself. In the end of the brief respite he decided to go with bluntness and blurt out,

"I'm a Crowne," Tori blinked before giving him a perplexed look,

"Last time I checked you were a Grayson,"

"No…well yes, I am. But it's more complicated than that,"

"It always is but…is what you're saying—are you implying that we're related?" Tori asked carefully,

"Yes!" Dick said, smiling, "We are…but it's more than just that we're related…there's more to the story?" he finished, uncertain about how that sounded,

"How are we related…how are you a Crowne?" Tori asked,

"I'll start with the good part," Dick said, "You remember that story about the firstborn son of Amelia and Steven Crowne being stolen from his crib?" Tori nodded,

"Yeah—no one ever found him,"

"That was my grandfather. The person who stole him brought him to Haly's Circus," Tori's mouth dropped open in shock,

"Then our grandfathers were brothers, which means my mother and your father are cousins—,"

"—Which makes us second cousins," Dick finished with a smile, "So…what do you think?" Tori stood there for a second, still stunned. He hoped she wouldn't find it too weird or disappointing, the bad news was still yet to be told. Finally a broad smile spread across her face,

"This is so cool and amazing!" she said, throwing her arms around him, "Insane and random…but totally amazing," she laughed. Dick laughed and smiled as well. He thought he was the last one of his family. In reality he is the last of the Graysons—or were they actually Crownes?— but he still had a branch of his family that was alive, a blessing in itself. He couldn't be happier, but there was also a downside and that downside was William Cobb,

"Well…we're half-second cousins," he said, Tori pulled back out of the hug,

"My great-grandfather isn't your great-grandfather. He's William Cobb—,"

"It doesn't matter, you're still my family—wait…did you say _is?_ As in present tense?" she asked, realizing what he had said thinking it was a mistake,

"Yeah. He's not just anyone…he's a Talon. His name is William Cobb, and he is a Talon. I was supposed to be the next Talon, in fact the Haly's Circus as a whole was a breeding ground for Court of Owl assassins," he said quite bitterly. Tori remained silent, "He's not your ancestor though, you don't have that evil heritage to confront," Dick said, sitting down on the edge of the roof he had traversed to. He swung his legs back and forth. Tori joined him after a minute,

"Bet you don't think being related to me is that great afterall huh?"

"Where is he?" Tori asked, "From what Tim told me they can live for a really, really, really long time,"

"He got away…Bruce had captured him and froze him—they don't do well in the cold—Bruce told me there that he was my great grandfather. I had kind of suspected something along the lines of me being related to some sort of conspiracy, but not the Court of Owls. I left in a rage and Cobb got loose when the Talons attacked the Cave. I got him again, but the armored truck that was sending him and some others to a high security prison never made it to their destination. He's still out there," Dick said glumly,

"It's not your fault," Tori said,

"I was meant to be an assassin…," Dick tried to think of something else to say, but the weight of the fact left him speechless. He was bred, unknowingly, for the purpose of killing innocent lives. His whole life and world at the Circus a lie. Sure Haly's was his home…but the truth warped it into something else,

"And I'm supposed to be a super solider," Tori said, "we both defeated fate—so far. Our futures are in our hands Dick…if William comes for you, you'll be ready. Don't dwell too much on what you were supposed to become, think about who you are now and what Haly's will become because of you,"

"You're pretty good at this whole pep talk thing," Dick said, giving a small smirk,

"Well, I'm a glass half-full kind of gal,"

"I guess that's our thing,"

"Oh yeah," she said, bumping his shoulder which he returned, "I told Tim this same exact thing, but I'm glad it was you. Could you imagine if it turned out I was related to _Jason_ in some way," Tori faked a gag. Dick remained quiet for a moment, wondering if he should even open his mouth on that comment, but he couldn't help himself,

"That would be awkward and weird," he said,

"Why?" Tori asked. Dick shrugged, and silence reigned again, before,

"You know what this means?" she asked, smiling at him,

"What?"

"You have four other half-second cousins!" The excitement of not being alone returned. Dick hurriedly asked questions about his relatives, he wanted to know everything not just the little tidbits he'd heard before.

* * *

A/N: I did the whole Court of Owls thing while Tori was in London because I didn't think I could explain that story-line well with her in the action. Plus I feel like throwing OCs into main plot points like that, ruin the story a little bit, so most of the New 52 things that I will cover (which isn't a lot since I'm a little annoyed at the New 52) will be explained or mentioned in passing. At least up to the Death of the Family because by that point I'm moving away from New 52 as I explained before.

REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 20

 _Tori's heart pounded in her chest, she sprinted down the pedestrian filled streets of New York City. She didn't know how she got there, but she knew she needed to get to a police station or anywhere really. Her chip was really starting to work and it was scaring her. Tori didn't want these powers, she didn't want to fight in some battle, she didn't want anyone to go through all the tests and trials and experiments she went through just to test if the chip worked at all. All Tori wanted was to go home. Suddenly pounding feet echoed on the pavement behind her, she didn't even look over her shoulder to see who it was. Tori sprinted even faster, her heart in her throat. She was no more than a few hundred feet from the Police Department when a hand clamped down on the back of her ratty shirt and yanked her backwards…_  
… "Oracle. Oracle? _Tori!"_ a voice yelled through her subconscious and she snapped awake, her heart pounding from the memory she'd just witnessed. It was the first one in a while,

"Y-yes?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral as she answered Batman,

"You didn't answer right away. Why?" Bruce asked a bit roughly. Tori bit her lip and sighed before replying,

"I fell asleep," she admitted,

"If you're so tired you should go to bed and let Pennyworth take over," Damian snapped,

"It's not that I'm tired," Tori stated, which was sort of not true, "It's that I'm so bored here!" Tori sat in front of the batcaves' computer screens, feet up on the keyboards still trying not to nod off,

"You know, I could help," she continued, "I have superpowers, and I've actually been training somewhat,"  
"That was before you went on an unscheduled trip to BioTech," Bruce replied, through the comms,

"But that is so unfair, I could be so much help and you know it!"

"He doesn't allow metas in his city," Tim reminded her,

"I'm not a meta,"

"Born a meta or made a meta does not matter. It still results in the same thing," Damian stated,

"Okay, fine, if you guys want all the fun," Tori muttered. She had upheld her part of her and Bruce's bargain. No skipping school, no getting in trouble, and no blasting anyone with her powers on purpose or otherwise but then he had to go and find out that she raided BioTech with her older brother…Tori was grounded once more,

"If it's any consolation, you would not be having fun out here, it's freezing," Dick said,

"That's what capes are for, Twinkle Toes," Barbara said teasingly,

"Twinkle Toes?" Tori asked snickering,

"Don't ask," Dick groaned. He and Tori had certainly gotten closer in the three days since the Night of Owls. The cave was still a wreck as was most of the upper part of the mansion, thankfully none of the bedrooms had been destroyed. Since Tori had a lot of spare time on her hands due to being banned from the cave unless for Oracle business and it being Christmas break, she'd spent that time decorating her room.

Before school started, when it was summer and after her parents had been murdered, boxes and boxes of her old stuff had been brought to the manor by moving people. They had stayed untouched until now. She had felt like they were a stranger's things and hadn't really wanted to bring them out; now, on the other hand, Tori thought it was time to liven up the room she'd been given. It was a dull looking room, sure it had red paint on the walls, but there was nothing about it that screamed personality. Soon after returning to the manor out came the pictures and old year books, ballet shoes and karate belts, books and awards, and finally medals and her old teddy bear. The room was starting to feel like home a little bit more everyday…same with the manor, much to her surprise.

The comms went silent as the bats started out on different assignments. It was Tori's job to coordinate robberies, break-ins, hostage situations, etc, and to contact the police when the perps were in need of a pickup. Radio scanners picked up any police activity as well as a sensor on the bay symbol light at the GCPD, it kept things moving faster rather than Commissioner Gordon sitting there for a solid twenty minutes until one of them finally notices and grappling over. there were a series of commands and keywords that needed to be typed and pushed and called that it was a mystery how Bruce had done it on his own for all those years. Sure there was Alfred, but there was only so much a butler can do.

Tori yawned again, blinking sleepily trying to find a way to amuse herself when an alert went off. Snapping to attention she listened to the radio call, which of course, the police had their own code system for—the details were written on a piece of paper so Tori could figure out what they meant, she was supposed to have it memorized but she hadn't—and she discovered there was a bank robbery in progress. Looking on the screen with the map of Gotham on it and the blinking lights of the bats' GPS trackers she realized they were all too far away to reach the bank. Biting her lip she put a hand to her ear,

"Batman? There's a bank robbery in the progress down on the west side of Gotham, the main bank. Six armed men and hostages. You guys are all too far away—,"

"Acknowledged, Robin and I are en route,"

"You'll never make it in time!" Tori said, "people could be hurt,"

"Oracle," Bruce said warningly, as if he sensed where this was going,

"I can do something," she insisted,

"Stay put!" Bruce ordered,

"I have skills you don't have! I can save them!" Tori said determinedly. She tossed her comm on the cave floor and grabbed a domino mask. Smacking it on she turned and geo-leaped to the Gotham Bank.

* * *

Upon further thinking Tori realized she had not thought her plan through. When she geo-leaped she imagined the main hallway…having no knowledge of any of the air ducts or the nooks and crannies she could have appeared in to be incognito…so she landed right in the middle of the armed group,

"What the shit!" one guy said,

"Where the hell did she come from?" another cried, raising his gun. Tori, then also realized while she was dressed in all black—something she had just realized in the moment and was not intentional—she did not look the vigilante part,

"What do we do?" a different guy asked. Two other guys were shoving money into burlap sacks while the final guy was making rounds on the hostages who were seated and lined up against one wall of the bank. The people behind the desks were with the other civilians as well and the security cameras were shot or dismembered,

"Let them go," she said, with as much authority she could muster. If they hadn't been so shocked they would have shot her already. Just in case she made a quick sweep of the building looking for places to geo-leap to for when that did become an option,

"How about no? Get on the floor with everyone else or we'll shoot!" the first guy who spoke said. Tori glared at him,

"No," she said, spinning towards the burlap sacks and carefully shooting her heat vision at the center. The bags split and the money poured out,

"Fuck you!" the guy screamed as he opened fire. His bullet only met the ground as she geo-leapt behind the closest pillar. The men with the bags tried desperately to pick up the money they lost,

"You know. We were going to leave and be on our merry way…but as of now: you're a dead girl walking!" Tori let out a laugh,

"In order to do that, you're going to have to find me," she said, her voice echoing off the walls. She geo-leapt again as the third goon who spoke opened fire on the pillar she had just been behind, "Missed me," she sing-songed. The men split up in search for her. Tori wouldn't lie, she was enjoying herself a little too much. A second time they missed her when they shot at her. She now found herself behind the last pillar she had visual of, Tori had nowhere else to geo-leap to other than the pillars from before, each of which had a goon by them. There was the one across from her, but it would be too obvious a position for her to be in if they came to her.

Tori needed a way to take them out, all she'd been doing right now was distracting them and buying time for Bruce to get there…but they wouldn't stay distracted for long and eventually they'd turn their attention to the hostages. Tori wouldn't lie, she was kind of nervous to take these guys hand to hand combat—more like hand to gun combat. She hadn't realized how little Bruce had actually taught her. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Before she could leave she heard a voice shout,

"Gotcha bitch!" a goon had snuck up to her left and opened fire. Tori squeezed her eyes shut and geo-leaped…but quickly realized she'd made the fatal mistake of leaping to her first position out in plain sight. They all turned and opened fire,

"NO!" she cried, throwing her hands up uselessly to defend herself—eyes closed. Tori waited, all she could hear were gasps of shock from hostages and goons alike. Opening her eyes she saw a translucent film surrounding her, a light bluish color—a force field. Tori stared in awe, nowhere in her memories did this thing pop up in but it had saved her life so she wasn't complaining,

"That's it!" the leader cried, taking his automatic weapon and pointing it at an innocent woman, "You are the lucky winner," he said grabbing her and yanking her up,

"Whoa man, I didn't sign up for this kind of gig!" one of the guys with the burlap sack said, "It was supposed to be in n' out!"

"Well this little asshole won't leave so I'll say this…if you don't leave I'll kill her," Tori glared, summoning her heat vision which speared toward his gun and made it too hot to hold. The guy cried out and dropped the weapon just as her shield flickered and disappeared. Tori didn't realize in time but one of the guys was ready and opened fire. She dove to the side but one still grazed her arm, it burned and it stopped her roll. Tori lay crouched in a ball with her arm bleeding, this had not been a good idea. The woman was tossed aside as they all moved to stand over her. Not a good idea at all. The men smirked at her, weapons at the ready.

They didn't even have a chance. The skylight—a vigilante's best friend—broke and down bore a red and grey cargo clad young man right on top of the lead guy, instantly knocking him out. The red helmet gleamed in the banks lighting as he fired the gun at the guy on his left and smacked the guy on the right with the butt of his gun. Three down and three to go,

"Disappear," was all Jason said to her as he pulled out a second gun and aimed it at the three men only just now ducking behind pillars across the room. Tori, still slightly stunned, leapt behind her intended pillar. A few seconds later, bullets sprayed the walls over Tori's head and Jason suddenly ducked behind the wide stone pillar next to her,

"We have got to stop meeting like this," he said, she could almost see the smirk through his helmet,

"What are you doing here?" she hissed,

"Saving your ass _again_ …seriously though, second time in nine days?" he stated, leaning out to shoot out at them,

"Oh shut up! I wanted to help, so I am," Tori said, starting to get up only to be yanked down as a bullet sailed by where her head would have been,

"Yes, because you're so helpful with your _minimal_ training and _zero_ experience. Not to mention stupidity," Jason snapped,

"Yes, I realize I'm way in over my head here but how will I get better if I don't get my feet wet?"

"You get your feet wet when you get training, not before," Jason argued, poking out again and shooting again. There was a cry and a thump as he pulled back behind the pillar. Jason calmly reloaded his gun, "B's gonna kill you," he added. Tori groaned, her arm stung but that didn't matter…Bruce was going to kill her,

"Well then I have nothing to lose," she said, poking her own head out and heat visioning the second to last guy's gun. He dropped it with a cry of pain as it melted to goop,

"Tor—ugh—T get down!" Jason growled, throwing himself on top of her with a grunt and rolling as a stream of bullets arced toward her. They both hit the ground and rolled, bruising her elbow and knees as it happened. She heard Jason grunt before she was pushed off of him which resulted in her clunking her head on the pillar he was aiming for. Jason was sprawled out still in range of fire though he didn't seem to be moving, he was struggling to lift himself up. It took a second to figure out why, he'd been shot in the side and leg—the final goon, and the other goon that had only been knocked out realized this too and stood with their guns ready. Tori gasped in realization before leaping out and trying to pull Jason behind the pillar, he groaned in pain as she did so but didn't struggle,

"Looks like Hoodie is dunzo," one said with a snicker,

"No," Tori snarled, turning with her eyes glowing red…if they touched a hair on Jason's head _they_ were fucking dunzo…the goons stopped, staring in shock at her eyes which allowed for Batman to drop through the already shattered skylight and land right in front of her and Jason, facing the goons who suddenly looked really frightened. Barely glancing over his shoulder he snapped,

"Get out of here." Tori didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Jason and geo-leaped to the Batcave.

* * *

"And now we know that geo-leaping with a passenger who has a gaping side wound is not a good idea," Dick said lightly as he mopped up Jason's vomit. Tori said nothing, she just paced and bit her lip and paced and bit her lip waiting for Bruce to get back. Why did she decide to do this? Was it to prove that she couldn't handle a simple bank robbery because she totally nailed that,

"What if he doesn't get better?" she asked before she could stop herself. Tim and Stephanie were re-stocking the utility belts for tomorrow while Damian let off some steam in the stimulation room,

"He'll be fine," Barbara said. Tori hadn't seen much of the red-haired heroine since she started to stay at the manor, but she knew enough about her for them to become fast friends, "Jason's a tough guy,"

"Why did I do this?" Tori moaned, "This is all my fault," everyone shared uneasy glances,

"To be totally honest, we all have done something like this at one point or another," Tim said, "But…we were all Robins or Batgirls—or both…we were known vigilantes. What you did….well, that was something else entirely,"

"Gee, thanks Tim,"

"He's being brutally honest, he does that," Stephanie said, "But really…Bruce is going to be mad. Now don't cry, it'll only make facing him later worse. I personally know this," Stephanie said. Tori's stomach twisted with fear. Suddenly the roar of the Batmobile echoed off the cave walls,

"Ooookaay, that's our cue. We're out," Dick said as they all hurried out. Tori took a deep breath and turned to face Batman. Only he flew right by her and instead went to the medical area,

"How is he?" she heard him asked,

"Stable Master Bruce. He'll be fine. Just his side and leg were hit, nothing vital and not too much blood loss. Miss Tori got him here quite quickly due to her abilities," Tori loved Alfred for trying to give Bruce something positive to consider about her…performance. Bruce, after that little check in, left the area and stood towering over her. Tori had never really been that tall to begin with, only reaching five feet four inches, but never had she felt so small in her life. Bruce glared at her in a way that made her feel like an enemy. Suddenly she understood why villains feared this man and why his mere presence was enough to clear a room of loyal henchmen…Batman was terrifying. But Tori wasn't going to let him see that, she was going to show that she was strong and could do what they did.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Tori had shed her mask long ago, but Bruce left his on. Still they stood until finally Bruce pulled his cowl down and marched over to the computers and shut them down. Tori thought he was waiting for her to speak but when she opened her mouth, Bruce beat her to it,

"What. Were. You. Thinking?" he asked, Tori wasted no time replying,

"That you weren't going to make it…that people were going to die," she said,

"It was a bank robbery with hostages, in a regular situation, _no one_ dies. In a situation like that where I had intervened after thinking it through, _no one_ would die. Four people were wounded by ricochet bullets, two of the six men were killed and another two treated for burns," Bruce turned to glare at her, "You disobeyed a _direct order_ to stay put, you endangered your life and another's who risked their own to save your's," Tori frowned and glared at the floor before snapping her gaze up to meet his,

"Maybe I could have done better if I had a little more than barely minimal training,"

"Maybe you'd get more training if you proved yourself worthy of such a thing. You are not invincible! People around you are not invincible and your actions affect every single person you come into contact with!" Bruce was yelling now, "How can I trust you as Oracle, if you don't even consider _our_ chain of command, _our_ way of doing things and _our_ way of thinking of things! We strategically assess a situation like that robbery before we barge in there! You acted without thinking, you didn't even think to grab a utility belt or a grappling gun. Due to your misguided sense of action you and Jason got hurt!"

"Our this, our that, our everything! _I'm_ not a part of that our! I never was! I'm an outsider looking in! You welcome everyone else but you leave me out like I'm nothing!" Tori yelled, her anger reaching the tipping point,

"And you will continue to be that outsider as of now. You are no longer Oracle. I told you that this would happen if you stepped out of line," Bruce hissed,

"Why me? Everyone else has done this at one point. Everyone has made mistakes, why am I so different? I am just like everyone else in this little messed up family!" Tori screamed,

"No you're not like us Tori," Bruce said softly. His eyes tired and his face in a frown, "You are not like us. Your family is still _alive._ You were not there when your parents were taken, you did not face half the hardships that we have faced night after night on these streets of Gotham…yes, you have been captured and experimented on but you don't remember that. The sooner you realize this the sooner you'll see that you don't belong in this cave," Tori flinched back from that, shocked by the truth in those words,

"They still haven't caught who murdered my family, they still haven't stopped Mac, both still haven't seen any justice…and I guess you just don't care. You're out of miracles. You're just going to give up and let that gaping hole of never knowing fester. You don't know my memories Bruce…I guess you were never trying to help. It was all a facade, a _lie._ Yes I have a family, but they want to know who killed our parents and so do I. _I_ am not done. _I_ don't need your help finding answers and _I_ don't need _you_ Bruce!" Tori spat before turning and running up the stairs. Anger and hurt rushing through her veins. He just tossed her aside, left all her answers out to rot. He said she didn't belong, and she was starting to believe that. But she'll figure everything out on her own. She doesn't need him, she'll find the truth her own way. By any means necessary.

* * *

Bruce watched Tori race upstairs. His anger filtering away, although his disappointment still intact. Tori had not acted, she reacted. She never thought of what to do in that bank, she reacted. She relied heavily on her abilities and because of that she never used anything of what he taught her. She didn't even try. He had never wanted her to resume her role as the new Oracle, it was exactly what had caused her assumed death in the first place and he hadn't wanted past events to repeat themselves. But he had let her continue, only because she was still reeling from the discovery of Mac and his electric mark upon her as well as the murder of her parents. Bruce thought Oracle would be a distraction for her, but it became an inspiration to continue and learn and add on to what she was doing. He didn't want that, he wanted her to stay safe and far away from their line of night work,

"How badly did I screw that up?" he asked his butler as the old man slowly made his way to stand next to him,

"I'd say rather thoroughly Master Bruce," Alfred said, his disappointment stare intact,

"What did I do this time?"

"You heard her, she doesn't need you. She'll find answers on her own?"

"You think she'll go out on her own?" Bruce asked, now starting to feel worry creep in,

"I don't know what she'll do. Unlike all the boys she did not live here for very long. Not only that but…she is a girl, they have moods on occasion,"

"I don't think that was a mood…it sounded like a declaration of war,"

"Then be prepared for some very awkward dinners," Alfred stated,

"You don't think she'll stay mad for long do you?"

"Well you did cast her out of the cave. Something two members of her direct family have access to and often use to risk their lives on a daily basis," Alfred stated rather dryly,

"Dick has his own at his penthouse," Bruce stated, a rather weak argument,

"That doesn't change a thing. You are alienating her, and that is a dangerous thing Master Bruce. Do tread lightly with her, now that she knows you think so little of her. Everything you say will be another nail driven in,"

"That's a little dramatic," Bruce said, then, "I don't think so little of her. It's just that she's putting herself in danger. She's taking risks without thinking and she will get hurt,"

"Then why didn't you say that?"

"I did didn't I?"

"But you also took away the very role that allows her to think and learn without getting hurt. Not only that but you basically said that her family was still alive therefore she has no need to search for answers. Something you always did and do even now. You were training her to be a dark knight of Gotham, something you did with not just the boys but with Stephanie and Barbara as well, and now you declared her unworthy. You had started her on a path that was filled with detective work and self defense…a purposeful task that gave her something to focus on: justice for her family. Which you took away. So what indeed makes her so different that she can't become who you were trying to make her become? Why did you give up on her after one mistake?" Alfred asked before heading upstairs, leaving Bruce alone in he cave, pondering the butler's wise words.

* * *

A/N: That was a long chapter! Next chapter on Friday! REVIEW!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Enjoy!

Chapter: 21

Tori sat on the roof of Wayne Manor, the winter chill kissing her skin and making her one and only battle wound ache. She had cried out all her tears, thankfully away from Bruce where no one could see. No one had actually been up there when she'd raced upstairs and for that, she was thankful. She couldn't believe it was all over. No more Oracle, no more saving people—no more finding out what happened—if it was true that Bruce wouldn't let her back in the cave. It was afterall somewhere she didn't belong. So where did she belong? Tori couldn't go to London, and now the Manor felt wrong now…it felt cold and unfriendly; right as it was starting to feel like home too. Tori searched her memories, trying to find one that showed her Bruce teaching her any form of fighting…but there were none or at least there weren't any that she remembered. He only ever taught her the fundamentals. It was Dick that taught her gymnastics and Tim who showed her some of the forms for the bo staff. She didn't even know how to throw a batarang,

"So, I hear I missed an awesome fight a while ago," a familiar voice said from behind her. Tori didn't turn around but allowed a small smile and a sniff to clear her stuffy nose,

"Well one of them walked away while the other left in tears,"

"We've all had our fights with B. It won't be forever. He always threatens it will be but it never is,"

"You said it yourself, I have no training and no experience…plus I'm stupid,"

"Actually right now you might be the smartest person on the planet with that chip of yours,"

"All that knowledge and I still got you hurt," Tori said, still staring at the stars and full moon. Silence reigned, Tori stayed where she was, sitting with her knees to her chest while Jason stood in silence behind her. Maybe he was watching the skies or maybe he was thinking of what to say next. Tori beat him to it,

"You know. Out of everything in my memory timeline, nothing frustrates me the most other than you,"

"Oh?" Jason asked, "Why's that?"

"I remember nearly everything. There's a gap where the year Mac took me is…but it's growing smaller…the other is you. I remember Tim, Dick, Steph, Bruce, Barbara, Commissioner Gordon, my parents, Jess, all my siblings, even Olivia and Zoe…but I don't remember _you_. At least not clearly. And I don't know why!" she stood up then, her back still to him. Tori no longer felt angry at Bruce now that the opportunity for some answers revealed itself. It was a mystery that haunted her as much as the year before. Had Jason done something horrible to her in the past? Was that why her memories of him were so dim and so little,

"Liam had said we were close you know. After you left in London…I didn't really believe him because…well you're you. You're arrogant and sarcastic often to the point of being rude…but your funny and kind and nice at the same time which is strange but not strange. I don't even know if I should _trust_ you. I don't remember anything about you other than you like bread-any kind- and the color red. You're birthday is August sixteenth only I don't know how I know that…and this is all so weird that I know only some things about you but you know practically everything about me. _Why_ is that? Why do _you_ know me?"

She still had her back to him, but she was now standing with her arms wrapped around herself, afraid to see what kind of facial expression he was showing. His response was slow, a pregnant pause before he spoke, but he sounded like he was repeating something written in a script. It was like he was saying something he didn't want to, but knew he had to,

"I'm flattered you think I know everything about you. But you're not that special Toria," it was meant to be mean and rude, but as he uttered it something sparked…something clicked. Tori stiffened in shock as a sudden feeling washed over her, like something was unlocking…some feeling of peace and happiness…something _homely_. It was gone as soon as it came, but she liked how it felt…like how a really good and happy memory felt when you actually remembered experiencing it. But Tori didn't know what memory that was…nothing appeared. She wanted—no, _needed_ —to feel that again, she _needed_ to see what that memory was. Tori stood up straight and looked back at Jason. He was frowning, waiting for her reaction, his verdigris eyes so familiar, like her own, cast to the ground of the roof,

"Say that again," she demanded, Jason looked up confused,

"What?" Tori turned fully to face him,

"Say that again, _exactly_ that," she said again,

"Why?" he asked, scowling slightly at her, trying to figure out what was so significant about what he had said,

"Please. Just do it. Humor me," she stated, pleading with her eyes. Jason stared at her for a second before sighing,

"I'm flattered you think I know everything about you but you're not that special Toria," His eyes widened as he finished the sentence, like he realized something shocking but Tori didn't care. It was that name. Toria… _Toria_ , a nickname. It was a memory, something whispered to her softly by her ear. It was a name that sent chills to her arms and a soaring feeling in her chest. Tori had experienced memories before, but never like this…never like she was actually living and experiencing them. That name, was a memory linked to a series of others…each one more significant than the last. Her heart pounded as she was pulled into the memories of her mind.

* * *

 _Tori was ten, she was old enough to walk around by herself at the gala. Sure she didn't know anyone here, she just wanted to look around. She'd never been to Wayne Manor before and it was the perfect opportunity to look for secret passageways! Pulling her hand from her step-father's grip she bounded away ignoring the shouts of her parents, they had their hand full with six year-old Ali and two year-old Cameron, and they couldn't go after her. She ran to the nearest hallway only to stop, it was really dark…and shadows lined the walls like the ones in her bedroom. Tori would have gone back had she not seen the gold of her older brother Liam 's hair disappear up the stairway, he followed another boy with dark dark hair. Curiosity bloomed, where were they going? Steeling her nerves she followed._

 _They went up and up and up, she had to keep her distance otherwise they would send her back, and she didn't want to go back to boring conversations and weird fizzy drinks in gasses and no kids to really talk to. The only reason mommy and Max had brought them was because Bruce Wayne had two kids, adopted kids actually, that they thought would get along with the Crownes. Too bad one of them was too old and the other too moody…though it seemed Liam had made a friend with the younger one. She didn't remember their names that well…though one had eyes like mommy which was very rare according to Max. As they climbed further, the echoes off the ceiling allowed for the two boys' conversation to trickle down to her,_

 _"—are you sure we're allowed to go up here?" Liam asked, his voice in Tori's opinion, sounding scared,_

 _"It's my house. I can go where I want. Trust me Liam, we'll be fine. There's much more to see from the roof than from the stupid ballroom," the other kid said, his voice sounded gruff for a twelve year-old, "No one ever looks up, and that's where the important things are,"_

 _"That's stupid,"_

 _"You don't have to come along, if you're scared—,"_

 _"—No! I'm not!" Liam snapped,_

 _"Then come on, scaredy cat," the boy said. Tori smiled, this was so cool! She didn't even know you could walk on roofs! She quickly but quietly followed them down the hallways on the top floor until they reached a door. When they went through Tori scampered through it just before it closed. A rush of cold air blew in her face and she climbed the stairs to where another door lay open to the outside. Tori didn't go through right away, she wanted to scare them…especially Liam…he had stolen her pop-tart that morning and that was punishable by a sneak scare attack,_

 _"I don't see how being up here is so much better than being downstairs," Liam was saying,_

 _"Are you kidding me? You can see everything," the other kid said, leaping up on the railing, "This was supposed to be an attic, but was destroyed by a fire and never rebuilt. They built a better one around the west wing. They put the railing in when someone accidentally fell to their death by coming up here drunk,"_

 _"Like you are if you stay up there," Liam said dryly, leaning his elbows on the stone railing, "What can you even see from up here?"_

 _"The stars, Gotham city skyline, cars, rivers, trees, satellites, asteroids, planes, blimps, and people. I see stinky socialite people with more gossip than honor and more money than they know what to do with,"_

 _"Great," Liam said, yawning, "Forgive me, I'm tired, but you also just bored me with that whole speech,"_

 _"Shut up Crowne," he sneered, plopping down on the railing so he was facing where she was hiding. Rather than get caught by him she decided to make her move,_

 _"BOO!" she shouted, jumping out. Liam jumped a foot in the air while the other just stared at her puzzled,_

 _"How did you get up here?" Liam demanded,_

 _"I followed you!" Tori said, very proud of herself,_

 _"I'm telling mom you scared me!"_

 _"I'll tell her you broke her favorite mug!"_

 _"I don't think she'll care, you weren't supposed to wander!" Liam snapped before sprinting down the stairs leaving her and the other boy alone on the rooftop. Tori suddenly felt very shy and just stood there in her pretty blue dress with her hands clasped behind her back. The boy just sat on the railing, a frown on his face,_

 _"You followed us and I didn't hear you?" he asked, more like mused to himself, after a moment of silence. Tori shrugged and offered him a small smile,_

 _"I'm a quiet walker," she said shyly. The boy grinned,_

 _"Well little ninja, why did you follow us," Tori bit her lip, a nervous habit mommy often told her to stop since it gave Tori sores sometimes, wondering if telling him would make him laugh at her. She decided to give it a shot,_

 _"I like old and big houses, they remind me of castles and fortresses and knights and round tables. I like looking for secret passages," she said, giggling at the end slightly embarrassed. He seemed to think it was funny as well,_

 _"It is a pretty big house," he agreed, "What's your name?"_

 _"Victoria…but don't call me that. Call me Tori or something," she said,_

 _"Okay Tori or something. I'm Jason. Jason Todd," Tori walked over next to him and leaned on there railing looking over the edge and up at the sky, Jason turned so he could look out as well,_

 _"Aren't you going to ask me why I stayed and didn't go down with my brother?" she asked, Jason looked at her an eyebrow raised,_

 _"Do you want me to?" she rolled her eyes, "Why did you stay?"_

 _"I like high places…and I like the stars," she said, smiling up at the twinkling flaming balls of gas before looking over at Jason and smiling._

* * *

 _Time flew forward like pages of a book flipping. Each gala or party Jason and Tori would escape and find the highest point they could and just sit there for hours. Talking, people watching and dropping fake bugs on unsuspecting patrons, heiresses and billionaires—avoiding their parents or guardian of course—it didn't matter where. Whether it was a roof or a light fixture big enough for two, they would find a way to it. This became a game to them: who could get there the fastest, who could find the greatest spot to go and who could hit the most champagne glasses with fake little beetles. It was wonderful to have a friend like Jason. Someone who's actually lived on the other side of Gotham life. He wouldn't talk about it much, but when he did it filled Tori's world with understanding in not just the white, blue blood way of life but the black and bleak side as well. It was intriguing._

 _The year went by. Tori, an eleven year-old, and a taller thirteen year-old tried to cram themselves into an inverse dome shaped light fixture in Queen Manor. Every time the location of each gala changed and with it so did Jason and Tori. Each month there was a gala that each of them begged to go to just so they could continue their game, even though they were getting too old and too big to be a part of it. They talked and laughed and shared secrets…though not all of them…and just enjoyed each others company._

 _Twelve year-old Tori and fourteen year-old Jason met once again on the rooftop of Wayne Manor. Jason was agitated,_

 _"He lied to me Tori," Jason spat, "he fucking lied to me,"_

 _"I know Jason, you told me," Tori said, trying to sound reasonable, "But he's a parent, parents lie a lot,"_

 _"He is_ not _my parent," Jason nearly snarled, "he doesn't trust me, yet he's the one who's been keeping secrets? He's a fucking hypocrite," Tori looked at him sadly,_

 _"He cares about you. He knew this would hurt you," Jason glared at her, though she knew the anger was not actually directed at her, "Tim said—,"_

 _"I don't care what your stupid rich brat friend said. All I know is that he lied and all I know is that I'm going to find the truth, with or without him!"_

 _"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tori called after Jason as he marched across the rooftop to the door. He didn't answer as he stomped down the stairs, the door slamming behind him,_

 _"Okay. Bye." she said softly._

 _The next time Tori came to the roof, she was alone._  
 _She had tears in her eyes._

* * *

 _The next year when Tori came to the roof, she was still alone. It was the gym roof of their school, it was Homecoming. The moon was full in the sky and it was early spring. She was wearing a simple dress, white sprinkled with little yellow flowers. Tori held a crown of fake flowers in her hands and she twirled it absentmindedly as she looked over the people coming and going, the city was sparkling with lights and sounding with sirens that were as familiar to her as her alarm clock,_

 _"I miss you Jay," she said, "Paxton gave me this flower crown. I think he likes me…but I have to confess…I wish you'd given me it and not him," she whispered the last part, as if he could hear her. With a single tear and a sigh she turned and left the rooftop, leaving the flower crown in her place._

* * *

 _Another year and still Tori is alone. She's back at Wayne Manor and she just stands there, her eyes closed as she breathed in and out. It was winter yet she was up there with no sweater, but she was fine. Tori loved the cold. It was her place of peace and happy memories. She really should have thanked her brother for running away to tattle on her, if he hadn't she wouldn't have met Jason at all. Tori tossed that thought away and slowly walked up to the edge before leaning against the snowy railing. Everything in winter always seemed suspended, like it was waiting for something. Winter was a magical season, filled with hot chocolate, snow, marshmallows, fires and the smell of fire smoke from chimneys and pine trees. It was peaceful, though sometimes deadly and scary especially when a storm blew through. But on nights like that night, it was peaceful, filled with the potential for magic and miracles._

 _Tori heard a light thump of boots, and her heart skipped a beat. She snapped her eyes open wide, but she did not turn around. Tori was unsure as to what to do. She heard the crunch of snow under shoes grow nearer and nearer and still she was too scared to turn around. She was afraid it would all be a dream, but it was possible. The others wouldn't tell her anything, but she'd been guessing…but those guesses never felt real. Finally she spoke,_

 _"I-is it really you?" she whispered,_

 _"You knew?" was the response. His voice sounded different…though that was to be expected of a sixteen year old. It could be the dark red helmet, but she just wasn't sure,_

 _"I've known for a while now," was all she said,_

 _"O2," he said, "very original," Tori felt her lip quiver before the tears spilled out,_

 _"I thought you were dead," she half whispered have choked out,_

 _"I was dead," was all he said. Silence followed as Tori struggled to contain her crying,_

 _"Take it off," she said finally. He looked at her though she couldn't tell his expression due to the helmet,_

 _"Take it off," she said again, "The helmet. I need to be positive it's you. I need to know," he stood for a second, not moving. Tori wondered if this person was actually who she thought it was or if it was another lie. She wondered if it was a kidnapper here to take her away for ransom…she suddenly felt uneasy. Finally he reached up and pulled it off. Tori gasped and threw a hand over her mouth. It was Jason._ Her _Jason. His hair, his blue-green eyes, his nose and mouth…it was him. Alive and breathing. Tears started flowing again before she threw herself at him. First to hug him, then to slap him in the face,_

 _"Ow," was all he said, rubbing his cheek, "What was that for?"_

 _"Getting yourself killed and making me have to go with Paxton to the homecoming dance instead of you!" she said angrily. Jason glared at her,_

 _"Sorry Tor, it wasn't exactly planned," he growled angrily, but Tori just found it endearing, like something that reminded people of happier times. Jason then cocked his head to the side, a wondrous expression crossing his face,_

 _"You wanted to go to the dance with me?" he asked, Tori flushed scarlet,_

 _"Oh, wow. I don't even know why I brought that up, it's so far down on the list but I was just annoyed that it was Paxton because he's a prick and—you know what, forget I said anything about the stupid dance," she said, turning even redder as he just smiled bigger and took a step closer to her,_

 _"I would come by here—Gotham…every once in a while," Jason said, stepping a step closer until they were chest to nose…he was one tall dude,_

 _"You did?" Tori asked, looking up at him with a shy smile on her face,_

 _"The people I was with didn't like it…but I didn't care. I saw you one time, at your school on the roof…and…I um…well—," he seemed to be thinking of something to say,_

 _"What?" she asked,_

 _"I…I have something for you," he said, pulling out an old and slightly bent flower crown. Tori couldn't help it, she let out a laugh, "Since your date was so lame last time, the least I can do is recreate the crowning part of it," he said gently placing the crown on her head. It stuck up oddly in the back and he tried to press it down. The feeling of his hand on the back of her head sent tingles down her spine and she couldn't help but blush even more than before,_

 _"You know for a guy who kills people, you are very charming," she said, placing a hand on his cheek,_

 _"I can't stay long," Jason said,_

 _"What why?" her hand dropped,_

 _"I'm needed somewhere,"_

 _"Where? Who are you with?" Tori asked,_

 _"Nothing you need to worry about," he said,_

 _"Wait…no. Stay," she said, pleading with her eyes as he started to turn to leap up to the rest of the roof. Jason did stop, as if rethinking something, before turning to face her. He grabbed her, not too roughly at all, by the arms and pulled her forward planting his lips on her's. Tori nearly gasped with shock, but she didn't stop him…she didn't want to. She kissed back and in the time span of a millisecond the kiss was over and Jason was gone. Tori turned, feeling light headed, to the railing. She stood there, a warm feeling in her chest and a tingling on her lips, smiling she touched her fingers to them…relishing the memory and the knowledge that her feelings for him were not unrequited._

* * *

 _Jason came back. A few months before both of their birthdays in August. It was not the first time they saw each other since the kiss. He would sneak into the batcave while Tori was there alone as O2 and talk and kiss and talk and kiss some more. They would wander around the city as civilians, visiting places Tori would have never dared to go alone. Eating, talking and holding hands like couples are supposed to do. Sure, Jason was still his sarcastic, hateful and slightly cynical self, but he was lighter…happier around her. She loved that he was like that…and she loved that he had chose her. Over everyone in the world, he had chosen her. Tori had never been in love before, but to her—this was love—doing things you never would have before being with that person. Going on long walks and talking about deep things, laughing at stupid jokes while chilling on some worn out sofa in a suspiciously cheap apartment building—that was love._

 _—And no one knew. Well Tori suspected that Alfred knew, how else had all the security systems in the cave mysteriously shut down whenever Jason snuck in? They would eat bread and he would surprise her at school by signaling with his red coat and disappearing down the alleyway nextdoor, greeting each other by calling, "Hey you!" down the alley to make sure it really was the other. They would ride around on his motorcycle and walk along the docks of Gotham Harbor. Tori loved how he would come up behind her and hug her, whispering his new nickname, only reserved for her from him,_

 _"Toria…my beautiful Toria," she loved him…she loved how he made her feel. Once he returned to his family, things got even better. Sure, no one knew. But it made speaking to one another better, not some horrible sin that resulted in punishment—Jason afterall was a killer—and while it bothered her to no end she knew she could not change his mind no matter who she was to him. It was something they never really addressed, neither of them wanted to nudge that issue with a ten foot pole. Jason and Bruce argued about it enough for the both of them just to avoid it all together. It is a struggle to stop something that's almost beyond second nature to someone._

 _Everything was perfect and happy and magical. She was making a difference in Gotham and she was with a man she might truly love._  
 _He was hers and she was his. Her Jay and his Toria._

* * *

Tori blinked back to the present. Her mind whirled at what she had just witnessed, it was like she'd just awakened from a deep sleep, like Sleeping Beauty. Had that all been real? Had she and Jason been together, like a _couple?_ Tori could feel butterflies and her heart pounded as she just stared at Jason who looked very confused and concerned for her. She didn't know what to say, she just opened and closed her mouth trying to find the words to describe what she had just witnessed,

"I—I just, I mean…we…did this—was that _real?"_ She mumbled,

"What? What did you see? Is what real?" Jason asked, looking very worried as he hobbled down the step toward her. She could see the wrapping around his chest where the bullet had entered his side. Tori couldn't think of anything to say without sounding crazy, but she needed to know for sure…she needed to feel that emotion again…she wanted to feel that thrilling warmth and the joy of being loved. Tori took a chance, he was there and he would remember. Tori grabbed either side of her face and kissed him.

Tori felt it, the warmth and giddiness exactly how she remembered it. Tori hadn't realized how lonely she'd been feeling despite learning about her relations with Dick and Tim. The memories had been real. They had been together—only she had forgotten. Tori pulled away and stared at Jason's shocked wide eyes worriedly,

"You remembered?" he asked, still looking stunned. Tori smiled sadly,

"Yes, it was Toria that triggered it…I-I miss you calling me that," she said, shyly biting her lip…she couldn't believe it was real…being together had been _real_ ,

"I thought you'd never remember," Jason said, putting his hands on either side of her face, Tori couldn't help but laugh, though she felt tears falling down her cheeks,

"I'm so happy I finally remember," she whispered, Jason smiled back at her and pulled her in for another kiss. Suddenly her fight with Bruce didn't matter. All that mattered was her, Jason and the night sky glittering above them.

* * *

A/N:

To Dragonfan47: You were spot on with your prediction in the reviews! :)

I HAD to add romance into the story and I can't wait to expand on this later in the story!

I don't remember if it was Paxton Powers who was the older man in Batman Beyond or if it was Derek Powers...so for this story it's going to be Paxton. (Since this does happen before Batman Beyond and the evil dude in BB would be younger at this point...though I don't know how much younger. Hmm...).

Toria, the end of VicTORIA, was a play on Troia(Donna Troy) who was a love interest for Jason if I remember correctly.

The attic story I just made up so Jason can try and spook little Liam :)

Hope you Enjoyed! REVIEW!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 22

The next few days were amazing. Sure, Tori was disappointed she wasn't able to be Oracle anymore and her fight did make it awkward to stay in the Manor, but her recent memories made it possible for her to be happy. She had her brother, she had her cousin and now she had her boyfriend…all memories regarding the family she once knew had returned. It was the perfect excuse to leave the manor for hours at a time. Tori only came by for breakfast and dinner. The rest of the day was spent with Tim or Stephanie or Dick or Jason.

It was strange to call Jason, someone who had only really been a friend/some guy who used to live with her half brother, her boyfriend but at the same time it just felt right. They were together again and Jason made sure to take her to all the places they'd gone to before. He'd fill in whatever little pieces or gaps she was still missing and she'd tell him things that had changed with her now rather than before. Like how she used to love chocolate but hated it now, and how she loved purple but preferred blue now. Some days they'd walk all over Gotham in the cold or sneak out after Tori's supposed curfew to see a movie…or two, afterall it was break. Sure soon it would end and Tori would have to return to the confined rooms of education, but it didn't bother her anymore. In fact, she was okay with returning to the routine schedule for awhile. Jason's wounds were healing nicely and he didn't walk with a limp anymore, it was amazing considering how long it took normal people to heal from bullet wounds like that—but they were used to it so Tori guessed that didn't make them normal.

Some days she'd spend with Dick, she visited Haly's Circus with him a few times. Everyone was really nice, and surprised that Dick even had a relative, especially one of the elites of Gotham. They visited Crowne Manor again, though they didn't stay long. Once again they both felt the sensation that they were being watched. Tori learned a lot about her aunt and uncle from Dick and they seemed like wonderful people, she wished she'd gotten to know them.

Tori and Tim, bonded through computers, as geeky as that sounded it was true. They worked endlessly to update each others' computer, mostly taking the devices apart and rebuilding them from scratch to allow for faster internet and an easy escape route if they were every caught or traced hacking into anywhere…or they could just destroy the computer with a hammer and build a new one. It may be strange to other families, but for them it was just normal.

Tori and Stephanie went shopping, a lot. Steph was on the search for the perfect prom dresses for both of them. Tori hadn't really cared for the dance, but now that she was with Jason, albeit secretly, she was actually looking forward to the Prom.

Life had a way of ruining everything though. Bruce found out about the breaking curfew thing and grounded her from coming to a gala he and the rest of his household were going to the night before the last day of break,

"You have got to be kidding me!" she said, "You've already grounded me for what happened at the bank, now you ground me for sneaking out? Shouldn't you be proud that you didn't catch me? Isn't that like a good instance of stealth?"

"No, it's not. You are not Oracle anymore, you are not training anymore therefore you don't need to be stealthy," Bruce said sternly,

"It's so unfair! You're letting your ten year-old son fight crime and I can't even step out of the house past ten o'clock!"

"He was trained by assassins from the day he was born,"

"I have _superpowers_ ,"

"Which you have used irresponsible and with no control," Bruce said, "Therefore you can't be seen publicly using them as a vigilante. Not only that but sneaking out isn't a way to gain trust which I need if you are ever going to step foot in that cave again,"

"You brought this on yourself you know," Damian said, all smug like,

"Says the guy who chopped a man's head off and gave it as a gift to my brother filled with _grenades,_ " Tori sniped. Damian opened his mouth to return with his own retort when Alfred intervened,

"Master Timothy is already in the car, as should you both be, Master Bruce and Master Damian," he said. They both left the Manor and to the car. Tori watched the go, seething silently as Alfred drove them down into Gotham City.

Tori watched them go with a dark glare on her face. It was hard enough to stay in the Manor with Bruce there, now it was beginning to be unbearable no matter where he was. He wanted trust? How was she going to prove herself if she can't go out on her own, not just to fight crime but to live her life. He wanted her to live a civilian life, yet he was chaining her to the Manor like a dog. It made no sense…unless…unless he knew something about Mac that he wasn't sharing. What if Mac was back in Gotham…what if he was looking for her right now?Suddenly the Manor felt bigger, more menacing. Every creak and groan of the old settling house echoed loudly. Tori felt her heart clench and her pulse quicken…she was alone, in the Manor…with not even Alfred there,

"I'm being silly. This place is Fort Knox…right?" she said to herself, "…and now I am talking to myself…great," she sighed before heading upstairs to wash up for bed. She might as well seeing as she won't be able to leave at all past eight for the next month or so. Most of the hallways were dark, so she turned on the lights as she went, still feeling nervous. Why did she have to think of Mac when she was alone in the Manor? Oh right! Because everyone always thinks of the worst possible thing when they're home alone. Tori kept telling herself she was being paranoid and silly as she slipped on her grey pj shorts and yellow and black Gotham Knights jersey T-Shirt for bed. Still she heard creaks and pops of wood, was the Manor haunted or something? Suddenly Tori felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise up and she whirled around to face her bedroom door just as the loudest and closest creak echoed,

"Alfred?" she called out into the hallway, "Is that you?" she glanced out the door only to freeze as her heart quickened its pace once again—the lights she had just turned on were off again. Tori slammed the door shut and locked it, her heart was pounding and she was breathing too hard, the room was starting to spin. Scrambling to her bed she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Jason's number, the only one not at the gala who would actually answer his phone,

"Yes?" he asked, he had a grin in his voice,

"Jason, I am home alone and I swear there is someone in the Manor," she said super fast,

"What?" he asked,

"Jason, I swear there is someone in this house. What if it's Mac?"

"Toria, slow down, I still can't understand you,"

"There. Is. Someone. In. The. Manor!" she said deliberately,

"Can you get out?"

"Of course I can…but shouldn't I call the police or something?"

"They're at the gala too. It's a fundraiser for the police department. None of their phones will be on during the speeches,"

"Shitshitshitshit," she moaned, "WhatdoIdo? WhatdoIdo!"

"You can geo-leap," Jason said,

"Where?"

"My safe house…if that's okay. Or you can go to Stephanie's apartment…she usually leaves these things early,"

"No, your place is fine since you'll actually be there…though since no one knows we're dating, I could use her as a assurance of my safety," she said,

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm leaving a note that says I'm sleeping over at her house and going to text her saying to cover for me,"

"Okay then. See you a few seconds," he said before hanging up. Tori sent Stephanie a text and wrote down her note before quickly unlocking the door and geo-leaping away. Sure, it was mean leaving Alfred with a potential intruder, but the guy had a shotgun that he definitely knew how to use. Plus, Jason's safe house was cozy and well safe, not like what Wayne Manor felt like to her right now. Maybe once she and Bruce were on better terms, things would feel as they used to, but right now…it just felt like a stone cold fortress. She preferred the safety of Jason's safe house to the cold stone Manor.

* * *

Tori arrived right in the middle of Jason looking through his drawers for a shirt…in his boxers. She couldn't help but stare for a second as he froze and looked over at her, hands still in the pile of unfolded clothes. Tori couldn't help but let out a little laugh,

"All that's missing is you sprawled out on the bed with a rose in your mouth," it was out before she could think and she blushed as a result. Jason, though, just smiled mischievously and flung himself back on his bed pulling out a friggin' _rose_ and shoved it in mouth. Tori stared opened mouthed while he just waggled his eyebrows at her,

"Oh my God," she laughed, "where did that even come from?" he spat the plant out and sat up again,

"Found it on a balcony of a burning building still alive. Thought I should save it, give it a second chance and all," he said,

"Really?"

"Yep," he said offering it to her, making her blush again,

"How noble Sir Flower Saver," she said, taking the offered rose and putting it back in the little vase. Still standing she surveyed the room. Weapons of all shapes and sizes were mounted to the wall, a large bed was pushed into the corner by the window and a tea pot set was on a glass coffee table in the living room. The safe house was large, it was actually the whole warehouse, but he usually stayed on the top side, the loft. There was a balcony as well, and across the harbor was Gotham,

"Mighty fine weapons you got here," she said, "where did you get them?"

"Many different places. I traveled a lot you know,"

"I know, don't really remember the details," she said, turning to face him. Jason was still shifting through his drawers trying to find a shirt, "What are you doing? There are a thousand shirts in there. Are you trying to find a particular one?"

"No…well yes…I was trying to find my cell phone,"

"I just called you a minute ago,"

"Yeah, but when you just appeared you kind of startled me…you were a black shadow smoke thing before you were…you and it was kind of startling,"

"And you dropped your phone in your drawers and now you can't find it?"

"Pretty much," he said. Tori started laughing again,

"That is the funniest thing I've heard all night," Jason rolled his eyes before pulling her by the hand onto his bed alongside him. They both lay on their back staring up at the ceiling,

"So why weren't you at this fundraiser thing?" he asked,

"I got grounded again,"

"He _grounded_ you while you were _grounded?_ " Jason asked, skeptically,

"Yeah. He's acting so overprotective and controlling all of a sudden. Yes, I know I messed up but there's a limit to how controlling you can be over a teenager who is not your kid," Tori said, glad to be venting a little,

"It's kind of what he did to me," Jason said, folding his arms behind his head,

"What do you mean?" Tori asked, looking at him. He looked over at her eyebrow raised before saying,

"Oh, right amnesia," Tori rolled her eyes,

"If I got a dollar every time someone forgot I've had amnesia I'd have…at least four or five dollars,"

"And that's soooo much money," Jason said, Tori pouted angrily at him. He just smirked and booped her on the nose, "You're adorable when you pout like that," Tori smiled and playfully tried to bite his finger,

"Explain," she growled teasingly, after he yanked his finger back,

"I guess you could say I was more aggressive than the other Robins. I hit heavier than I should and broke a few more bones than necessary. I was young and didn't really understand restraint as well…but Bruce still didn't like that. He put me behind the computers and didn't take me out as often as before. Then I found out about my mom thanks to all that time behind the computer and…well you know what happened,"

"Wow…that got depressing. Sorry,"

"It's okay," he said, "Don't get too worried about it. Bruce is paranoid. He probably thinks that what happened at the bank will attract Mac back to Gotham,"

"I don't know. Cassidy said that they're staying out of Gotham because their funders are mad at them…out for blood and money,"

"Their funders are here in Gotham?" Jason asked,

"Yeah…I told Bruce this…I haven't really told anyone else,"

"Who would fund Mac to try and take out the Justice League with Super Soldiers and make the rest of the world meta-humans?"

"You know what, let's stop talking about this," Tori said, sitting up and pushing off the edge of the bed. She took a step towards the bathroom, arms hugging herself ready to make an 'I have to pee' escape when Jason took her by the arm and spun her around,

"Tori, wait. I'm sorry," he said, both hands were on her arms. Jason's face still towering above her's. she was only five feet four inches and Jason was at least six foot one, "let me make it up to you," he said smirking lightly before leaning in and kissing her. It was slow at first, hesitant. Like he was concerned he'd offended her by bringing Mac up. And he had, a bit…but right now she was _a'okay_ with his apology. Tori brought her arms around his neck and welcomed the kiss, which he deepened at her touch around his shoulders. Tori's heart was pounding and she felt butterflies fast and light in her stomach, it wasn't a bad feeling…it was electrifying actually. She pulled back in shock when she felt her back bump lightly against the wall opposite from where they had been standing before,

"Are you at all concerned about the possible intruder at the Manor?" she asked, panting slightly. Jason, equally as breathless shook his head,

"Figured it was your imagination," he replied,

"And yet you asked me here," she said, huskily,

"Always expect the unexpected," he replied just the same and he was kissing her again. Her fingers curled through his hair as his lips moved down along her jawline, a sensation she had never felt before. She only pulled away again because his hands were pulling at the hem of her shirt, her back hit the wall again with a audible thump. Jason pulled back too, looking slightly shocked at himself,

"Sorry," he panted, "I—I just couldn't help myself," he and Tori stared at each other. Still breathing heavily, silence in the safe house. Tori's mind was reeling, that feeling…that _closeness_ …she, really liked that. She liked what it had felt like, and she didn't want it to stop. Tori looked at his blue-green eyes, and muscled torso, his strong and calloused hands…she could still feel them at her waist, almost on her bare skin. Jason moved to turn back to the dresser, for a shirt most likely, when her hand grabbed his. He froze, partly turned from her as she reached for the other hand and made him face her. Their breathing was back to normal almost in perfect sync,

"Don't apologize," she said, looking him in the eye, "don't stop," she stated firmly, pulling his arms back around her waist and her arms around his neck. Tori was almost on her tippy-toes just trying to look him in the eyes,

"Are you sure?" his whispered,

"Yes," she replied, just as quietly. They stared a second longer before she leaned forward and he met her half-way. Each kiss was filled with love, and passion and a sensation that Tori had no name for. He trailed them down her jawline and to the crook of her neck, causing a gasp or two or more as a result. His hands reached for the hem of her shirt again and she pulled back slightly. Jason let out a breathless laugh and placed his lips right by her ear,

"You are such a tease," he whispered, he said it jokingly still it made her flush and shiver at the tickle of his breath,

"It's unintentional. I've never done this before—eek!" she yelped as his hands lowered all of the sudden and he lifted her up into his arms. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and his lips found the crook of her neck again as he turned for his bed. Tori pulled back slightly and kissed his mouth, deeply as he instead of lying on the bed, sat on the edge with her legs straddling his. As they still kissed his hands pulled at the hem of the shirt again, making her jump like before. Tori let out an embarrassed laugh and flopped her head on his shoulder,

"You are sure?" he asked again, slightly uncertain,

"Yes. I am," she said planting a light kiss on his bare shoulder, "I am so sure because even though I just remembered you and I a little less than a week ago I feel like I know you, I know us. I remember us much more clearly than anything before and after. I know that I loved and love you, as crazy as it seems,"

"It doesn't seem crazy," Jason said, "I love you too, ever since I saw you on the gym's rooftop for the first time in so many months and years…all alone…I knew," he asked. Tori couldn't help but smile and blush at the same time, she wanted to explain, but worried at what he might think about her jumpiness,

"It's just that whatever you do makes me jittery, like I've mixed red bull with coffee," Jason chuckled before pulling her closer again and kissing her lips, then down her jawline and neck again before saying,

"That means I'm doing it right," Tori couldn't help but let out a giggle. This time when his hands pulled at her shirt, she let him pull it up over her head. They smiled at each other before swooping in for more kisses, longer, deeper. Jason ran his hands gently up the bare skin of her sides leaving her breathless and with goosebumps before removing her bra and pulling her fully onto the bed. Tori felt the heat of his skin and the beat of his heart. She now knew love, and she embraced it under the starry night of the Gotham sky.

* * *

A/N: Well...maybe I should have put a warning on here at the top if there are younger kids reading this...but that happened anyway! Yay! Naughty Jason and Tori! ;) Just thought I'd further their relationship.

Though I wonder who turned off those lights in Wayne Manor...?

More on Friday! REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 23

Tori woke to the sound of buzzing. Squeezing her eyes closed she waited for the sound to stop, and when it did, she relaxed. She wanted to be one with the calmness of the morning, the sun on her face and the memories of last night. A smile formed and a blush crept on her face, a happy blush and a happy smile. The buzzing started again. Internally rolling her eyes and rolled over to face the noise. Looking down she realized it was her phone. Trying not to wake Jason, who was still asleep next to her, she quietly got out of bed. Tori picked up her buzzing phone and tip-toed to the bathroom. She was thankful for her Gotham Knights T-shirt, which she had found in the dark of the room for her one am bathroom run, to keep out the chill of the early morning of winter once she entered the surprisingly clean room and shut the door. Looking at the caller ID she saw it was Stephanie and knew she had to pick up, her friend was covering for her afterall,

"Hello?" she asked, yawning slightly,

"Oh thank God! Hail Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Stephanie nearly shouted at the other end, "I was worried sick!"

"Dial it down Steph, it's too early for you to shout in my ear," she said, leaning forward on the counter fo the bathroom sink and resting her cheek on her hand,

"Early? It's eleven o'clock Tori. Bruce has been calling every half hour asking when you are going to be back at the Manor. He's already pissed that you fucking left, which means he's pissed at me by the way,"

"Oh, gosh…sorry. Tell him I'll be back by noon…one the latest, promise,"

"Twelve? One? Which is it? What the hell are you doing that requires two hours? In fact…where the _hell_ are you?" Tori bit her lip. She needed to think…should she tell her best friend that she was dating her boyfriend's adopted brother and that she literally slept over at his safe house. Is that the kind of thing you tell your best friend?

"If you don't tell me I'm going to tell Bruce that you lied…trust me, I know you're my best friend and all but you're scaring me," well… _that_ decided it,

"I'm at Jason's safe house," she blurted out. There was a beat of silence,

"You're at Jason's safe house," Stephanie repeated, "And you spent the whole night there? The _whole_ night?"

"Yeah…sort of,"

"Did you sleep with _Jason Todd!?_ " Tori pulled the phone from her sensitive ears,

"…yeah...I did," another beat of silence,

"Oh my God! I _knew_ it!"

"Wait _what?"_ Tori stuttered out,

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew you had a secret thing going on with Jason! I knew it! Haha! Take that universe! Stephanie Brown knew something everyone else in the Batfamily didn't!"

"Wait…you _knew?"_

"I suspected. Jason looked destroyed when we told him you were 'dead'. The real question is how do _you_ know Miss Amnesia?"

"I got my memories of me and him back," Tori replied,

"Was it good?"

"I'm not discussing this with you!"

"Was it?"

"It's not like I ask you about this!"

"That's because it's your brother! I don't think you want details of that,"

"Ew! Did you two—,"

"—Not about me, about you…now spill!" Tori shuddered briefly, relieved there was no response to the earlier question,

"…yeah…it was great," she said, a smile forming on her face despite herself,

"Like just great? or like great _Great?"_

"How would I know…I don't have anything to compare it to," she said…suddenly a thought hit her, "Oh my God…was this even my first time?"

"Oh Shit! You're right…you wouldn't remember,"

"Oh my God…that is so freaky!"

"You know what…don't think about it. You're a clean slate, clean as an unused tampon,"

"Ew, don't make comparisons Steph, they are not your thing,"

"You're right, that was just gross…and look at that, it's Bruce buzzing in again. Get your ass back to the Manor while I cover for you,"

"Thanks you're the best bestie ever," Tori said before hanging up. She took a deep break and started slightly when she felt arms wrap themselves around her. Tori leaned her head back and closed her eyes as Jason gave her a good morning kiss and then another two pecks on her shoulder blade,

"I take it that was Blondie telling you to get back to dreary castle?"

"I got two hours," she said, "If I get there earlier it may score me some points,"

"You could geo-leap there anytime,"

"Yeah, but after last night I am tired out," she said, smirking up at him, "I don't want to use my powers today either. I just want to normal it up,"

"I could give you a ride,"

"And that wouldn't be suspicious, might as well tote a banner on the back of the motorcycle reading: Just Hooked Up," Jason chuckled,

"Fine. But call me once you're back there,"

"I will,"

"And…you know…we should tell everybody about us,"

"Well one friend is already in the know—,"

"—you told Stephanie?"

"She threatened to tell Bruce I lied, I had no choice,"

"That explained the weird comparison thing I heard the tail end of," Jason muttered,

"Wow, you walked in at an unfortunate moment," Tori said shaking her head in sympathy, "We'll work up to it, promise. But right now, I need a shower and some clothes that will fit because I'm not taking the subway in my pjs and socks,"

"On it," Jason said, "But maybe I could join you in that shower first," he said, smirking at her sexily,

"Not this time, I need all the time I can get to get back to the Manor,"

"You have two hours," he reminded her,

"And as much as I would love that, I really need to get back on the other side of the river, catch a subway to the safer side of Gotham and then a taxi to Wayne Manor which I will need money for too by the way—I'll pay you back,"

"Not this time, got it," Jason said, rolling his eyes,

"Thanks for understanding," she said, pecking him on the lips before shoving him out the door. Tori closed and locked it before turning to the shower, so ready for soothing hot water and warm thoughts of last night.

* * *

Once out of the shower, Tori pulled on the clothes Jason gave her. They didn't fit at all, but they were better than nothing. The cargo pants had to be rolled five times and the belt needed new holes in order for it to fit her. The shirt was fine baggy, and the shoes were huge. They were better than nothing. After she changed and said her goodbye to Jason, she started out to the docks to get a ferry ride back to Gotham. It was a cold and windy ride, and without a jacket Tori was cold but she didn't mind it, and what waited for her back at the Manor was worse…besides, she couldn't get sick from the cold or anything actually. That was the only upside to the chip.

After she finally set foot in Gotham she hurried to the subway and hopped on the last one heading to the business district, it was the easiest way to get out of the poorer areas and Crime Alley. Plus the taxis were always there because the area was so busy. When she got off the subway car the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She felt like someone was watching her. Glancing around she couldn't see anyone that seemed threatening…but looks can be deceiving.

Tori hurried along with the crowd, trying to ditch the feeling of being followed. Even as she broke free of the mass of people and out into the fresh air-sort of-of Gotham, the feeling lingered. Tori was panicking now, she quickened her pace and forgot all about the taxi. She needed to get somewhere with people she knew, not just mindless strangers. Geo-leaping was not an option at the moment as she still had little to no energy to use that ability. She didn't even have breakfast before leaving, which was probably not a good idea when there was a mad scientist on the hunt for her…though with all those other kids, why would he still be after her? Maybe because she could expose them. Tori shook her head and forced herself to focus on getting somewhere known and very public. The feeling hadn't gone away and no matter how many times she looked back, she never saw anyone following her or even glancing her way.

Maybe she was being paranoid? Many people go in the same direction as others when getting off trains and subways, that didn't mean they were following her. Tori slowed her pace, thinking that if she stopped the feeling would go away. She watched people go by, and the feeling faded slightly. Tori took a breath of relief right as someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alleyway nearby. Tori stumbled and fell to the ground, panic flaring again as she glared in the direction of the grabber. Heat vision seared the brick wall of the building, there was no one there. Had she imagined the grab? Tori slowly got to her feet glancing around, no one there. Her panic never faded and the feeling of someone watching only intensified.

She pulled out her phone and started to dial Bruce's number. If he didn't pick up she was calling Jason, then Dick, Tim, Stephanie and Babs…she might even call Alfred if none of them pick up for whatever reason. Before the phone had a chance to ring something hissed from behind her and a flash of silver flew by in her periphery vision, slamming into her phone. The device flew from her hand an onto the concrete floor, impaled by a dagger. Tori sprinted to the entrance of the alleyway only to feel something wrap around her wrist and jerk her backwards. She landed with a cry and scrambled to her feet. Tori turned and only saw a black, brown and gold clad figure reach for her. She tried to scream but she was cut short by a hand swiping at her and her head slamming into the brick wall.

That was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

A/N: The walk of shame took a tragic turn. Also, brown, black and gold? Hmm...

I decided to post this chapter a little earlier, since it was still Thursday when I posted it. My treat...and I think I'll post the next chapter on Friday. I'm almost done with the story so I can be generous on how many chapters I post. :) Hope you enjoyed!


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: So...do you remember when in the beginning of the first chapter that this story gets a little dark and violent? Well...it's gonna get to that-er-tone towards the end of this chapter and for a few others...but I don't think it's too vivid in description...I'm just putting this here just in case.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 24

Jason was just stepping out of the shower when his phone started to buzz. Smiling to himself he picked it up, not bothering to check the caller ID, assuming it was Tori finally calling him. It had been an hour, he knew he was a long way from Wayne Manor, but he didn't think it would actually take his girlfriend that long to get back. She'd get too impatient and end up geo-leaping no matter how much energy it took up. He smiled wider at the thought of the term 'girlfriend.' It had been a struggle not to think like that when she had first returned. It was a shock and he had been afraid she'd actually died like he had until the truth said otherwise. It was a miracle to him that finally something good had happened to him and she finally remembered him, she was finally his again,

"Hello?" he said cheerfully into the phone,

"Where the _hell_ is Tori?" Stephanie's loud voice demanded. She sounded extremely angry,

"What are you talking about?" Jason demanded, frowning,

"What am I talking about? Bruce called me to the cave half an hour ago furious! He said Tori never showed up! I had to lie to Bruce. I had to lie to Batman! Do you know how hard that actually is when it's not a training exercise?!" she nearly shouted,

"Wait, you're in the cave now?" Jason hissed,

"Yes, well no. I stepped upstairs to call you. I also lied about that, I said my phone worked better upstairs…which isn't necessarily not true…but that's besides the point,"

"Hell yes it is. Don't you think they would find it suspicious if you called me? Like you know I knew where she was?" Jason growled,

"Relax asshole. I said I'd call just to ask if you'd seen or talked to her at all. Nothing suspicious…you know I think Dick suspects something happened between you two before she went missing,"

"Shut up, Blondie, I don't care about family gossip at the moment,"

"Oh right. Put Tori on the phone. I need to yell at her for not fucking showing up,"

"That's the thing," Jason said, hurrying to his dresser and grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt, "She's not here. Tori left an hour ago," there was a pause,

 _"Shit,"_ Stephanie hissed, "Do you know where she went?"

"She was heading into Gotham via ferry, then subway and taxi,"

"Why didn't she just ask Alfred for a ride on the other side?"

"Because _no one knows we're even together_ Blondie. That's why you and I are going to keep it that way, got it?"

"Fine, but if it's clear that Tori's missing and in danger. I'm telling,"

"That's fine," Jason said before hanging up and grabbing his gear, because it won't matter who knows what if she's missing. If anything happened to Tori, he was going to make sure whoever had her paid.

* * *

Tori came to slowly. Her head ached. Her wrists and shoulders burned like a sore muscle after a good workout. Why? Letting out a small groan she slowly opened her eyes only to shut them at the bright light shining about her. She tried to move her hands to rub her eyes but found the movement impossible. Opening her eyes again she realized why: she was suspended by chains hooked to the ceiling. Tori's feet barely brushed the tiled floor, no wonder her shoulders and wrists hurt, all that strain on them taking its toll. After the realization as to what had been done to her, the panic set in. Where was she? Was this Mac…Cassidy? Both? Why was she in some windowless room? Was she even in Gotham anymore? Tori grunted as she tried to wiggle her way free from the chains,

"I wouldn't tire yourself out so quickly Victoria," a voice from the shadows of the room said. An unfamiliar voice, a unique voice…one she had no recollection of ever hearing. Tori ignored him and continued her attempt at escape…if only she had a bobby pin, "Stubborn. A strong trait, yet useless when it comes to orders and obedience," Tori stopped her struggling and tried to turn to see her captor,

"Who are you?" she asked, her breath fogged the air in front of her, which made her realize just how cold the room was. It was then that she realized her shoes were gone, as well as her socks. Her captor didn't say anything, just stepped into the light.

There was no mistaking who this man was. It wasn't his height or his stature that defined the realization of his identity. It wasn't his dark hair or the uniform he wore. It was his eyes. Clear as if a gem. A dark blue, not quite like her eyes or Dick's…those eyes came from Amelia. But they were close enough to spark recognition. A Grayson blue, a Crowne blue. Tori's chest tightened with fear,

"William Cobb," she whispered,

"So my great-grandson has spoken of me," William said with a dark smirk. He looked a lot like Dick…though he seemed paler, older and creepier in comparison. It was the hair and eyes that set them alike, as well as some of their expressions…though William's were darker, filled with an emptiness,

"Let me go. If you think capturing me will get Dick to become a Talon you're wrong—," William let out a laugh,

"You think this is about Richard? The _failure?"_ Tori said nothing, though she was starting to really worry about his motives, "No. Richard has passed his time of learning our ways. His mentor has taught him the pathetic ways of non-killing and justice on the terms of the law. We do not require him. Not anymore. We need someone new. Someone with no knowledge of non-killing or fighting. We need a clean slate,"

"You're trying to rebuild the Court of Owls," Tori stated, trying not to bite her lip in worry. She would not give nervous ticks away to her murdering half-ancestor,

"Rebuild is too strong a word. We are adding to what we already have,"

"The Court of Owls is gone. Batman made sure of that," Tori stated, though now she wasn't so convinced,

"That is exactly what we want everyone to think. We want them to believe that we have shrunk back beneath the lines of an old nursery rhyme. When in fact, the Talons we lost were nothing compared to the ones we have reawakened, or compared to the new ones we are creating," Tori said nothing, only glared at him, "Our Grandmaster has gathered a new generation of Owls, and we are creating a new one of Talons. We will continue our own dark crusade, so deep within the shadows that even Batman won't know of us and our reconstruction," Still Tori stared at him levelly. She was thinking of what to say, how to mock him and anger him, how to goad him into making a mistake and allow her to determine where she was and how to escape when a thought struck her,

"You killed my parents," she growled. Whether Cobb was annoyed that she ignored his speech or not never appeared on his face, through he sighed with a somewhat regretful tone,

"That was an unfortunate accident," he said,

 _"Accident?"_ Tori ground out,

"Our target was the nanny. To send a warning to Mac that we knew who he had taken and used and that we were not happy, but your parents intervened. They were very brave if that's any consolation," Tori glared hatefully at him,

"Three people died! By your hand, there is no consolation for that! _Murderer!"_ Tori yelled. Swinging back and trying to kick the Talon on her way forward. William calmly grabbed her foot and held her like that, glared at her before grabbing her right foot with both hands and breaking it at the ankle. Tori screamed and tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he held her firmly in place,

"Anger is a powerful and passionate emotion. But it is just that, an emotion; you will have to learn to control that temper of yours once you are a Talon," Tori, while gasping loudly to keep from screaming in pain and to keep the tears threatening to fall from coming, looked at him in shock. She didn't even register the pain as he let go and she swung back and forth,

"You want me to become a _Talon?"_ she exclaimed in shock, Cobb stood calmly before her,

"Yes. Richard has refused and I need an heir. What better than my own flesh and blood,"

"I'm not your flesh and blood. I am Amelia and Steven Crownes' great-granddaughter, not yours," Cobb just smiled,

"That, is the biggest lie history has ever told," William said, "Amelia loved me, even if she chose her father over me. We met in secret throughout her pregnancy and again two years after the loss of her first child, _our_ child. She did not know that I had taken him to Haly's Circus, and I did not tell her. Nine months later, she had her second son, Michael Crowne. _Your_ grandfather and _my_ son. Therefore you are not Steven Crowne's great-granddaughter. You are _mine,"_

Tori stared at him in shock and she spoke without thinking,

"You're lying," she said, "That isn't true. That _cannot_ be true," Tori felt the cold sinking into her bones and the throbbing ache in her ankle. The tugging at her shoulders and the chain manacles digging into the skin of her flesh. All the aching, stinging, cold…and this truth hurt her the most. It tugged at the knot of her identity until it unraveled. Everything she knew about herself was false. Sure, she was technically still a Crowne, since Amelia married her second cousin and was a Crowne herself, but the fact that every relative on her mother's side of the family was only half her's…struck home, hard and fast. Tori was not the descendant of a man who had shaped Gotham, not fully. Everything had been a lie,

"You see the truth even as you deny it," William said, "You see your mother's aunts, uncles and cousins' photos hanging in your apartment, memories of before the fire in that manor house and you see the truth in your mind's eye. They all look different from your grandfather and mother. There is nothing similar, but when you look at me, you see the likeness. Deny it all you want, but you are my kin, and thus you are my heir," Tori forced herself to face the truth, no matter how much it stung but in order to get out of this place, she needed to know that she is not defined by her ancestors, only by her actions. Tori would not choose this life, she would not become a Talon,

"I will never be a Talon. _Never_ ," she snarled. William looked at her sadly,

"Do not blame me for the result of that declaration. The Grandmaster wants new Talons, and I as leader of the Talons need an heir—,"

"—I will not be that heir," Tori snapped,

"—by any means necessary," William continued,

"Again. Never, will I be a Talon," she spat the words at him, her resolve strengthening at the finality of her words. Cobb stared at her impassively,

"I can change that," he said, flicking his wrist. A leather whip uncoiled at his side, and Tori felt all that resolve fall away and the panic set in again,

"No," Tori stated, "No, _don't!"_

"Become a Talon, and I won't," he said, his eyes told the truth. He would not continue if she said yes and willingly committed to being a Talon. Tori eyed the whip, hesitating before lowering her head in defeat,

"…No," she said, though it lost the grandeur it had before,

"So be it," Cobb said from somewhere behind her.

He let the whip fly.

* * *

A/N: Ugh, I hate implying things like that at the end. It's almost as bad as killing off characters. I don't know how many of you readers write yourself, but when you have to describe something horrible like death and violence...it's really hard because you're like: how could I come up with this idea. Why did I come up with this idea? Is it because I'm a messed up person or is it because it's a compelling point in the plot that furthers character development and draws readers in?

Creativity can be a cruel thing, but the story of the tragic hero dates back to Ancient Greece and is the basis for most stories...so...um...review?

Sorry to get so philosophical over fictional characters...it just happens sometimes.

I may post a chapter over the weekend as I near the completion of this story!

Once I complete the story, I will post the rest of the chapters every other day of the week until it is over(this way I can get a jump start on the next part of Tori's story for you guys because there WILL be one). I will let you know when that starts!

Hope you enjoyed and keep reading and REVIEWING!


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Here's the chapter I promised for over the weekend.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 25

Tori blinked blearily through the grit in her eyes. She couldn't tell whether it was night or day or even how long she had been in that windowless room, but it seemed like an eternity. Everything ached, everything stung and her head felt like a balloon and her stomach growled menacingly. Her arms had grown numb and her legs just dangled, her knees a few inches off the ground. The ground…the ground was slick with her own blood. Tori could feel it saturated on the back of her shirt that was nearly shredded through on the back and stuck in clumps of her hair. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to even move a muscle so she just hung there, staring passively at the tiled floor.

Torture…it was a word that was sometimes mentioned fleetingly in the batcave. It brought bad memories for everyone who ever stepped foot in that damn cave. Cruelty was a nicer way to say it, but either way it was barbaric and senseless. It was something Tori never imagined experiencing herself. Yet there she was, dangling helplessly, wishing desperately that William would just give up, but he wouldn't. Cobb was an assassin, trained to do this sort of thing, a monster. And if Tori said yes, that's what she would become. Tori didn't want that, she wasn't meant to be a monster or a soldier…right now, she didn't even want to be a vigilante…she just wanted to go _home._

The first night or day…whichever it was…had been done with her at her strongest. By the end, she had passed out and all that strength just faded. When she woke up again, withering in agony at the cuts and trying to keep her tears and snot in so William wouldn't see, he started again…and that time, Tori screamed.

Tori winced at the memory and licked her dry and cracked lips. William hadn't been there the other time she'd woken up, after hours of waiting she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and fell back to sleep, hoping the sleeping would help heal her wounds. Tori couldn't see them, but she could feel them. They criss-crossed her back and they stung like someone was pouring salt on a cut or lemon juice on a paper-cut. They itched like no tomorrow but she did not have the energy to try scratch them. Not that she could. Tori just feared moving in general, it caused more pain than comfort.

Her fingers had lost their feeling a while ago and her toes had started to turn purple from the cold. It was the only thing she could see at the moment since moving her head hurt just as much and her curtain of hair concealed nearly everything else except her feet and the tiles of the floor. Her right foot had swelled enormously and ached with every breath.

The door creaked open and Tori jerked unintentionally at the sound. Her body flared with pain and she let out a gruntled groan that cracked her already dry lips,

"Look up," William said, Tori didn't respond or listen. She wasn't moving, it hurt too much, "I said look up," he said it sharply now and Tori gritted her teeth and forced her neck to move. Craning her head up, her breath hitching now and then, she then shook the knotted and clumped hair out of her face so she could see him. Tori hoped there was hate in her eyes, she hoped that Cobb felt horrible for what he was doing, but she knew deep down that he probably didn't care. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Maybe he was just seeing how much she could take before she died or until she gave in…and after the first few times, Tori swore to herself that she would _never_ give in.

William stepped closer and Tori, though already quite stiff, stiffened further as he brandished what looked like a needle. Tori suddenly found strength and jerked away from him, kicking out slightly as she did,

"Get away from me!" she hoarsely cried, "Don't touch me!" she snapped. William glared at her,

"I am not opposed to breaking your other ankle Victoria, now stay still," he snapped, as he grabbed her by the jaw and jerked her head to the side, causing her to cry out. Tori struggled weakly, side-glaring him,

"What are you doing to me?" she demanded as he stuck the needle into her neck and pushed the plugger,

"Healing you," he said even as Tori felt a surge of energy course through her veins,

"W-what was that?" Tori asked, wincing as some of the bones in her ankle snapped back into place. She wiggled some of her toes experimentally and was shocked when they actually moved. They still ached, but it was semi-healed. Her back was knitting back together, not all the way, but the worst was being healed at least a little bit,

"Electrum," Tori looked at him in shock, "Not enough to make you a Talon, but enough to heal a little of the wounds I've inflicted. We can't have you die on us. Not yet,"

"I thought people have to die to become a Talon?" Tori asked. As she hung in the room she thought through all her knowledge on Talons and the Court, which wasn't much, and she remembered something like that…and dreaded that part excessively. Every time she came close to giving in, she told herself that she would have to die…and she didn't want to, she never wanted to die like this or before her time. She was a survivor. She survived her childhood in Gotham and her time with Mac…she could survive this,

"They do, and you will when you become one of us," William said, looking pointedly at her,

"No…never," Tori said, ever glaring at William,

"I admire your stubbornness and determination, and while those are valuable traits, they will do you no good at this moment," he said,

"Are you going to whip me again Cobb?" Tori snarled,

"Not until the Electrum is out of your system, enjoy the respite," did he seriously just say that?

"Why are you doing this at all?"

"We need more Talons, I need an heir since my other one rejected my offer,"

"I am not blaming Dick for this. This is all on you!" Tori yelled, "Why me? First Mac and now you! Why am I so special!"

"You are not special. You are blood. As for Mac, I do not know. We funded his work, only because we sought to prevent the deformation of our veins. Not because of you," William said, gesturing to the blackish purple veins on his face and neck, "We had hoped that the technology would help our Talons fit into society better. So we could hide in plain sight. Some can, it is unpredictable where the mutated veins will appear. Some have it on their arms or backs and they can live life out in public. Others…most, cannot for it is on their face and chest and neck. Mac would hopefully change that, though he had no intention of helping us,"

"He never paid you back after he and BioTech made money,"

"No he did not, and the chips were not compatible with the Electrum," William said, "He betrayed us,"

"If he betrayed you, why don't you just kill him?" Tori asked, shifting carefully and realizing that she could move much easier now, "It's what you always do with people who betray you,"

"Yes, that is true. But he has left Gotham, which is our domain. We do not leave Gotham for it is our home and our means of finance and we have an understanding with other Assassin guilds,"

"You act like it's the whole world,"

"We've done a lot for this City, and a lot to gain power,"

"No, the Owls get the power and fame. You just do the dirty work,"

"But of course, how do you think we are paid?" William asked with a dark smile, before turning and closing the door and locking it, "The Electrum is out of your system," he monotoned. Tori shook her head,

"You don't have to do this," she nearly pleaded,

"Then you will become a Talon?" he asked,

"No," she said,

"There is only one option for you. Talon. Willingly or unwillingly it does not matter. Think of this as reeducation. They want you to choose this by any means necessary and the Owls will have what they want," William said. Tori said nothing, just slumped forward to stare at the floor again.

* * *

Time crept by slowly. Will would come and go with no pattern. Tori had no way to know how long she'd been there. It could have been days or it could have been months, she had no way of knowing. The aching of her foot had lessened to a really dull throb, but her back was a mess half the time. She didn't even want to see the damage, she didn't want to look at it. William would come in and give her Electrum randomly and return to beating her an hour or so after. Electrum burns through the system really fast at lower concentrations, but would stay forever when at a certain, higher, concentration.

Tori came to realize what Cobb had meant by this whole process being reeducation. She was learning little bits and pieces about the Court of Owls and how it functioned. Where the Owls met, what the Grandmaster did and his or her right-hands as well. There were dozens of Talons, but only twenty-eight or so were unfrozen at a time. Since a lot of the Talons had been taken or killed, the older ones had been unfrozen to be mentors to the younger, newer, Talons. Tori dreaded the kinds of abuse that forced others to become a Talon.

As time went by, she wasn't sure how much, Tori tried to escape. The problem was she could barely move at all. The pain was constant, yet she could ignore it now, perhaps Cobb thought he was conditioning her for the pain of Talon training—not that she'd ever consider going through with that, it was just a passing thought. Sure, it would stop the pain and the hanging…but it would be an eternal indentured servitude. Bruce would be coming, so would Dick, Tim, Babs, Jason and Stephanie. Surely they have been looking…can't they hack her EMP bracelet? Or actually…couldn't they just find her? The bracelet was gone…why hadn't they come? Tori shook her head and continued her next plan of escape. Thinking of those things would just confuse her loyalties…she didn't need that right now, she needed to escape. Her stomach was started to growl less which indicated that if she didn't eat soon, she'd die. They'd been giving her water, but no food…and her head was killing her because of it.

Tori craned her neck up towards the ceiling, the pain a roaring wave though she put a cap on it right then, she needed to at least try and break free. Summoning as much strength as possible she grabbed the chain holding the manacles with numb fingers. Concentrating on her chip, and the super strength it granted her she tugged. A bolt pulled loose just as Cobb opened the door and stepped through the threshold. Tori froze where she swung, a loose bolt rolling on the floor,

"What happened here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Tori said nothing. She watched as he bent and picked up and bolt and looked at where the chains hung,

"The chip you have…it gives you super strength?" Tori glared at him, "Answer," he growled,

"I can neither confirm nor deny the statement made without the presence of my supervisor," William slapped her across the face before turning to leave, "Wait!" she called,

"What?" William growled menacingly,

"How long have I been down here?" William was quiet before heading out the door. Before it closed though, she could hear him answer her quietly,

"In a few hours. It will be three days," Tori's heart skipped a beat. Three days….three days… _three_ days? All that pain and suffering…and it had only been three days?

Three days and she had thought of giving in two times per day at least.

Three days and she was convinced there would be no way out. If she died, they took her and she'd become a Talon, and if she survived she would be tortured until she gave in…she was trapped.

 _Three days._

Only _three_ days.

* * *

Will had stopped coming with the Electrum and the beatings hadn't been as often. Maybe they expected her to die soon? She certainly felt so. It had only been a few hours into her fourth day and already she could feel the itching, the need for the Electrum to heal her. It was like withdrawal…no…it _was_ withdrawal. She needed the Electrum to heal her, she needed it to feel like her old self, like her strong and capable self. That was why he had done it. Not to heal her out of pity in his heart, but to draw her closer to the dark side…like an expert chess player, he was four steps ahead of her. Tori was losing.

The assumed fourth day was the worst. When William came he had two other Talons with him, though they were masked and wheeled a tray in,

"What is this?" Tori demanded,

"That chip, is not compatible with Electrum. If you are to become a Talon, it needs to be removed," Tori's heart and stomach plummeted,

"No…no, no, _no_ …you can't do that,"

"We can and we will. We need you Tori. You've wanted so badly to make a difference in the world and you can with us. Batman hasn't even _trained_ you, he hasn't even bothered to _find_ you," Tori bit her lip and eyed the two Talons who stood ready by Cobb's side as she mused over what he had said. It was odd that she was even considering what he had said, but she couldn't help it. It was true, Bruce hadn't come…not yet. _I bet he hasn't even looked_ , a darker, newer voice whispered in the back of her mind. Tori shook her head,

"Never gonna be a Talon. Not willingly ever," she said,

"So be it," William said, and gestured to the two Talons as a third entered, "You will die eventually, whether it's from pain, starvation or exhaustion it doesn't matter, and when that happens we will make you a Talon. Or you can give in, it will be quick and painless and then you will be strong again. Far stronger than you have ever been,"

"I have super strength," Tori snapped, struggling as one Talon pushed her hair away from her neck and the other's held her in place,

 _"Had,"_ Cobb said, as the scalpel came down.

It was agony. No anesthesia, they held her down as she screamed and thrashed. Her body withered in pain and she kicked and she cried and she vomited. The neck stayed stationary and sooner rather than later, the chip was out. After that she was given Electrum one last time and Tori was in too much pain to care how disgusted she should have been at the fact that all she felt was relief when it was given to her.

William stayed in the room at all times now, never leaving, never eating, never sleeping or relieving himself—at least not while she was awake. He watched her with those nearly similar eyes and she just glared at him, even as her body wracked with spasms and her legs numbed and stopped being numb. He just watched as she coughed and vomited up clumps of blood. She had been strong before, she could be strong to the end…maybe after she died they wouldn't use her, too resilient and stubborn, it was a pointless dream but it was one nonetheless,

"H-h-how *COUGH* long?" she warbled out, a long time after the removal of her chip. Tori had to speak, the silence was deafening and driving her crazy…not literally…she hoped,

"Five days," William said softly from his perch, leaning on the wall. He pushed off from it and moved to stand in front of her, "It won't be long now," he said,

"I-i-i-s that s-suppo-sed t-to be comforting?"

"No, a time limit. You can save your family a lot of suffering,"

"What?" Tori demanded, ignoring her suffering for a second to hear what Cobb meant,

"I went to the Grandmaster today, while you were asleep. I knew you wouldn't die just yet, but I needed to make sure my orders hadn't changed. They have changed. He said that if you didn't submit to being a Talon willingly, to let you die. I am to dispose of you and fly to London and kidnap your brother…the youngest," Tori turned to ice. Her little brother. Cameron, his laughing little three year old face popping up from when they had all been younger. His smile which was larger since her visit and the action figures he plays with now because he knew that it was not Batman who killed his parents…that trust just regained suddenly gone in the blink of an eye. If it had been anyone else she would have called bluff, but she saw the seriousness in William's eyes, she knew that he meant what he said.

Tori, who had been content in dying without willingly consenting to being a Talon, now hung bleeding internally as everything shifted into perspective. She thought of the torture she had been put through and of her smiling laughing little brother and how she could not bear him to suffer because she was too selfish to save him. Tori took a deep breath, she could feel it rattle in her lungs as a cough unwillingly pulsed through. She spat up blood, more than should be okay and looked at Cobb,

"H-h-he will b-b-b *COUGH* be left alone?" she asked, unable to fully complete the sentence coherently, but William got the gist as he moved closer and lightly placed a hand as delicately as possible—as to not touch the lashes on her back—,

"I swear, that no harm will come to your brother or the rest of your family by my hand or the Talons. I do not break my oaths, you can have faith that I will abide this promise," Tori looked at Cobb, blackness starting to form at the edges of her vision and she couldn't help but tear up. William looked at her, almost sadly, "I'm sorry," he said. The black grew thicker and before she lost her chance she nodded,

"I-I'll become *COUGH* a-a Talon," William cut the manacles from her wrists and caught her as she fell, "I-I-I don't w-w-anna die," she choked out as William lifted her into his arms. Black was winning and colors were blurring into nothingness,

"It won't be for long," he replied, as he carried her…almost tenderly… down twisting halls and down spiral staircases. Everything was swirling dizzily, but she could vaguely see the door as it opened and slammed shut. Tori could feel the cold of a steel table as she was laid on it and the sting of an IV drip and other tubes. Beeping filled her hearing a second later and she tried to raise her arms, to feel something as blackness and now a sliver of white swept through her vision,

"Wait," she called, "d-d-on't l-leave me," she whispered hoarsely. A hand, hesitant and uncertain grabbed her's,

"I am here," William said. Tori briefly wondered if he had ever actually spoke to his children, or ever dealt with them because in that moment, she—though her sight was long gone as she drifted from the living to the dead—could see something almost human in her great-grandfather. But it could also be that she was just grateful to be grounded to the earth through a calming touch. Darkness tore her sight away and she struggled to breathe. She could barely hear anything but she thought someone murmured 'relax' to her as she struggled to take her breaths…until finally she couldn't take air in anymore. A mesh of white and black filled the backs of her eyelids and she could not feel her body anymore. In that moment, Tori did not feel panic…she was not even aware of anything…just a brilliant and bright light a distance away…as she took her last breath, she knew her brother was safe…it was worth it for him to live a normal life.

It was worth the change.

* * *

A/N: I did not enjoy writing that. Dark dark and darker it got...but it had to be done for the sake of the story.

REVIEW! I will keep you all updated on when I will be posting these chapters more often!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 26

Jason paced angrily in the cave. Everyone had been out dealing with the aftermath of the Joker, and while Jason at one time would have been grateful and satisfied with the madman's death, he felt nothing but anger and panic. Tori was still lost out there, possibly with the same mad scientist that took her before and possibly without her memory again. He was not going to lose her again, not after she had just remembered him. The roar of several engines reached his ears as the Batmobile, Tim and Stephanie on their bikes arrived,

"Finally," Jason growled,

"What's your deal Todd?" Damian asked as he stepped out of the car,

"What's my deal? My murderer just broke into our sacred cave which he apparently knew about since the beginning of Bruce's career as Batman after kidnapping me again and saying he cut my face off. Oh and _Tori_ is still _missing_ ," Initially, when it became clear that Joker had officially broken out of Arkham for the billionth time, Bruce had thought that the Joker already had Tori…which hadn't gone over well with Jason. Everyone had thought it was because it was the Joker, not because it was Jason's _girlfriend_ who had been taken by the Joker. When the madman finally had his big 'party,' Tori wasn't there. Bruce hadn't done anything since, he wanted to make sure Joker hadn't left behind any surprises. Not only that but everyone was still tired and exhausted, emotionally and physically from what the asshole had done. There were also injuries that had needed to be dealt with. Now that Bruce was back a day after the Joker fell to his death, Jason wanted to do something,

"She wasn't taken by the Joker Bruce, we need to find her," Tim said, worry clear in his voice,

"Maybe Mac _did_ take her," Stephanie said, rubbing her eyes through her cowl,

"No, he didn't," Bruce said,

"How do you know?"

"I know because Mac is in Gotham, I've had him under surveillance. He won't do anything to Tori unless she reveals his plans to the authorities or prevents his plans like she tried to in London,"

" _Really_ Bruce! More _secrets!_ You knew he was here and you didn't do anything about it? You didn't even tell her?" Jason snapped,

"I need more proof before I act. I don't want to force his hand. If he really does have super soldiers under his control, I don't want to start a war by arresting him. We don't know what his specific plans are and until I do, I won't do anything,"

"That still doesn't answer the question," Jason said, "Who took Tori,"

"Why are you so adamant to find her?" Tim asked, narrowing his eyes at him. Jason didn't answer so Tim just looked at him perplexed. Suddenly another roar of engines sounded as Dick and Babs arrived in the cave. Once both their helmets were off everyone could see their grave and worried faces,

"What is it? Is it the Joker?" Bruce asked,

"No," Barbara said, "That madman is dead, there's nothing left on Gotham. He's gone for good," she said it with relief, and Jason felt the same way. Yes that psychotic man will still haunt his nightmares forever, but Joker won't hurt him or anyone he cares about ever again,

"Then what is it?" Bruce asked,

"Tori," Dick said. His face was pale and filled with worry, Jason felt frozen panic seeping in…he tried his best to hide it. Dick and Babs held out their hands and everyone crowded around to see what was in it. There were four things. A broken phone, a dagger, a necklace and a small chip…the size of an SMS card with bits of dried red flakes on it,

 _"No,"_ Tim gasped,

"This is not good," Stephanie whispered. Jason didn't say anything, he couldn't think of what to say and what he wanted to was probably too vulgar for BabyBird's sensitive ears,

"Who's dagger is this?" Bruce demanded, snatching it from Barbara and holding it up to examine it,

"Does it matter?" Jason snapped, "We can't find her without the chip. You should have done this sooner! You shouldn't have waited!"

"What is with you? I get that you're worked up because the Joker attacked us, but he's gone and dead, something you've wanted for years. Now this pops up and you're acting like it's so personal, but it's _my_ sister and _Dick's_ cousin!" Tim snapped back,

"You're the detective! Why don't you figure it out!" Jason yelled back, silence reigned,

"Who took her?" Stephanie asked finally,

"The Court of Owls," Barbara said, "The hilt has their insignia,"

"This is all my fault," Dick whispered, "They must have saw me talking to her on the rooftop…Cobb said he wanted me to be his heir,"

"Then why didn't we receive a ransom note…were you even contacted Dick?" Tim asked,

"No,"

"Then…I can only suspect that there's something deeper going on here…it's not about you," Bruce stated thoughtfully,

"Tori is a Crowne…William Cobb was in love with Amelia Crowne back in the nineteen hundreds," Barbara said, "Maybe he felt some kinship with her?"

"Kinship," Bruce muttered to himself, as if the word were important, before turning to the computers, "There are DNA records of the Crownes and the Cobbs right Barbara?"

"I suspect. I can access them…but why?"

"Just a theory," Bruce said, stepping back so the Oracle could work her magic. Jason stood back, tapping his foot impatiently,

"You okay, Little Wing?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Fine. Foot fell asleep…and quit it with the nickname," he lied through his teeth,

"Never little bro," Jason rolled his eyes. Finally, after both Bruce and Barbara fooled around with the keys on the computer, there was a ping of results,

"Huh," Barbara said,

"What?" Dick asked, stepping forward,

"It appears that Tori's DNA doesn't match Steven Crowne's DNA. It could be because they were two generations apart…but some of the strands should be matched that aren't,"

"What does that mean…and what does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that Tori's DNA is missing strands that connect her fully to the Crownes," Tim said,

"So she's not a Crowne?" Jason asked, getting annoyed with all this…when were they going to look for her,

"She is. Amelia was her ancestor and a Crowne, she married her second cousin…but Tori also isn't,"

"Hmm…I have a thought…" Bruce said before he typed a few other things in which pinged a few minutes later with even more results,

"Oh my," Barbara said,

"Tori's not a descendant of Steven Crowne…she's a descendant of _William Cobb_ ," Tim said, everyone turned to Dick,

"So I guess you really are second cousins, not half second cousins," Jason said,

"That puts her in significantly more danger if Cobb knows this," Dick said, "We _need_ to find her,"

"Then what are we waiting for," Jason said, turning on his heel and heading for his bike,

"Seriously what is with him?" Tim muttered,

"Oh don't mind him, he's just in love with Tori," Barbara said hurrying to her own bike, Jason froze in his steps as Tim exclaimed,

 _"WHAT?"_

"Please, it was pretty obvious," Dick said rolling his eyes as he pulled on his helmet, "Don't you remember how he reacted when we told him she was dead,"

"Let's not refer to Tori as dead just yet please," Stephanie said, shoving her helmet on as well,

"You _knew?"_ Tim asked, head whipping around to each person in question, " _All_ of you?" he was still by the computers in a stunned motionless sort of stupor,

"Replacement. Get over it, you can be mad after we get my girlfriend back. Right now can you just sit your ass on your bike and get moving?" Jason snapped before revving his engine and speeding out of the cave. Even as he left he heard the echo of Tim's cry,

 _"GIRLFRIEND?!"_

Jason allowed a small smirk, Replacement's reaction was worth it.

* * *

A/N: No idea if there are/can be actual electronic DNA records of relatives. I know they have something like that for fingerprints: IAFIS - Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, but I don't know about DNA specifically. Also, yay! I'm over 1000 views for this story! Thanks so much to you all!

Any-who...GUESS WHO FINISHED THE STORY! THIS GIRL! WOOHOO!

Okay, so I'm posting today on Sunday, then on Monday. And then on Wed, Friday, Sunday, etc until I am done. Then I will probably have a little respite unless I've gotten a few chapters of the next story done with.

REVIEW!


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 27

Tori heard voices, very faint, but she could hear them. She couldn't move, she felt like she was trapped in her own body…body, she did _have_ a body. The voices grew louder and clearer,

"We got eye movement, up the Electrum," a voice said. A few seconds later, something cold iced its way through her veins…she had those too…she…wasn't…dead? Pressure filled her chest, almost like she needed to do something, something she hadn't done in a while, something her body wasn't expecting to happen…something vital…

Tori's eyes flew open as she pulled in her first breath in an unknown amount of time. Air rattled down her throat hollowly and burned through her lungs. She nearly choked on it, but she gulped in another and another breath of air until it became a regular thing. She coughed as if the air was poisonous, but welcomed it all the same. Tori turned her head, ignoring the twinge from moving so soon after rigor mortis had started, and found herself surrounded by Talons and Owls. It was then that she remembered what happened. It was then she remembered where she was. It was then that she remembered the choice she had made,

"No," she croaked, as they tilted the table she was on slightly so she could sit up, "No," she said…her voice sounded scratchy…how long had she been out? No, how long had she been _dead?_

"I'm afraid so, my dear heir," William said, walking into the room. Tori glared at him. She remembered him taking her hand as they waited for her to die, but that didn't change the fact of what he had done, what he had threatened to do. Tori took a deep breath, the feeling so unnatural now, like sandpaper, and moved her hands to look for the mutated veins. She found none, confused she tried to turn around but her body was too stiff that it hurt trying to move,

"The mutated veins don't appear for a few months and your body's still too cold to move fluidly. You'll need time in the baths to fix that," William said,

"The what?" her voice still sounded airy and rough,

"You two, escort her there. I need to make sure her room is ready," William said before leaving. Two Talons moved forward and pulled her to her feet by the arms. They were women clearly, by the shape of the Talon armor they wore, and Tori relaxed slightly as they led her slowly due to her stiffness down the maze of halls.

Her head still felt like a balloon and her thoughts were racing a mile a minute. She was a Talon now, a fucking _Talon_. Tori would be trained by Talons now because she was William's heir. She had done it to save her brother, but how long until she truly turned from who she was? Things learned by Talons aren't untaught easily, Raymond was proof of that. She was still trapped…where was Bruce…where was _anyone?_ Did they think she was dead again…well…dead _er?_ What were they doing? What was Tim doing right now…what about Jason? Tori felt a twinge of homesickness for her family. She felt the lonely pull for Jason as well, they had been together finally since the whole amnesia thing and now she was a Talon…now she might be dead to him because they couldn't find her. Or had they even been trying?

Tori shook her head, _no, don't thing like that_ she told herself. They _were_ looking for her, but they had to take care of Gotham as well, it can't be easy looking for clues while stopping crimes, lunatics and other things like that at the same time…but how long until they came? Tori's thoughts flew like a bullet as the two Talons helped her out of her bloodied and gross clothes and slipped her into a giant-ass hot tub-like pool. The warmth soothed her aching body and stiffness from being recently deceased. After a few minutes of just soaking, the Talons started scrubbing her back and shoulders, getting excess blood off her back and out of her hair. The water tinged red.

One of the Talon's saw the obvious damage to her back that hadn't been healed by the Electrum and clucked her tongue,

"William has no restraint sometimes,"

"That's what makes him a good Talon," the other replied, Tori didn't say a word. She did not feel like commenting on her great-grandfather at that moment,

"He's not just _good._ He's the _best_ ," the first one said, "And she's going to be trained by him. She's his heir,"

"Judging by her scars, she doesn't think it's an honor. What makes her worthy?"

"She's his great-granddaughter. Now _shut up_ ," Tori snapped, jerking her head around to face the two masked Talons. Whether they were offended or surprised by her outburst, she couldn't see and they didn't elaborate on their feelings. The three sat in silence until they pulled Tori out and into a robe. Tori turned on her own and started for the steps out of the room only to feel a wave of dizziness and nearly fell over trying to step up onto the first step. The second Talon to speak caught her as she fell. The room swam dangerously and Tori worried it was some strange side affect from dying and then coming back to life when the first Talon to speak opened her mouth again,

"Bring her to her room. The resurrection process is tiring and she is already exhausted from her torture. Plus, she needs to eat. Regeneration only occurs with sustenance, which she has had none of,"

"Does everyone know about the torture thing?" Tori groaned. The two Talons ignored her and instead dragged her through the hallways and to some room somewhere in the giant compound that they were all staying in. She didn't bother trying to note the number of turns. It was clear she wasn't getting out of this place on her own, she needed outside help and as long as William had her…she was never setting foot outside the compound again…at least not until she was the perfect Talon.

* * *

They brought her to a large chamber which she suspected was her room…there were bars on the windows and a large lock on the outside of the door. Tori guessed Cobb suspected she wasn't exactly thrilled about being a Talon or his heir…but she was doing this for Cameron, she was keeping him safe, and that was worth all the suffering and training and brainwashing they threw at her.

The room itself was huge. It had high ceilings and a damn nice chandelier hanging from its center. Nightstands stood at the sides of a queen sized bed with a down comforter and big fluffy pillows. Tori desperately wanted to swan-dive into the bed, but the arms on her restrained her. There was a living room area with a coffee table and a sofa as well as a large bookshelf filled with tons of varieties of books…some in different languages. A table with four chairs was off in the corner which was obviously for eating at.

Tori was impressed by the room, and very excited with all the books. Though the whole thing lacked personality, it was a pretty decent place of living in the compound…though she had nothing of value to compare it two other than the torture chamber she was locked in for the four days she'd been there. Tori internally shuddered at the thought of just hanging there, being beaten everyday she resisted…her heart raced and she shut the thought down.

Talon one and Talon two sat her down on the sofa. Talon two left to get food while the other pulled out a loose black shirt and black pants, made out of cloth like that of karate class outfits, only softer,

"Put this on," she said. Tori complied, tossing the robe on the coffee table. The pajamas, which she could only assume that was the function of the outfit, were surprisingly warm and comfy. Tori hadn't realized how cold she'd been after stepping out of the pool. The first Talon came back with the sweet aroma of food, Tori could feel drool drip down her chin as the tray slapped down onto the table. Tori was over and in the chair before she herself could blink,

"Holy hell?" she cried as a wave of dizziness made her groan,

"Careful. You are already down on energy, moving around so fast will only tire you out even more. Eat, or else you'll probably starve," Tori complied, forcing herself to eat slow on account that she hadn't eaten in four to five days—she had no idea how long she'd been out and no one had told her—the Talons watched her…making her feel slightly uncomfortable,

"You know, you can eat as fast as you want. Sickness after not eating for a while is not a side affect for Talons," the second Talon said,

"Really?" Tori asked, her mouth full, both nodded,

"You will find that there is much you can do that normal people cannot," the first one said, "Even you who was a superhuman before a Talon," Tori wasn't listening, she had already shoved another third of the food on the tray into her mouth. After the tray was empty and she had licked every morsel of food off the damn thing Tori had crawled into bed and shut off the light. Desperate for some much needed sleep. She tried not to let the loud clank of the lock sliding in place bother her, or the shadows from the moon shining through the barred window. In the bed, nearly smothered in a down comforter and sheets, she could almost pretend that she was back at the Manor, and everything was alright…even though everything was far from alright.

The change was worth it, if it meant saving her brother. Tori whispered that in her mind until finally, her eyelids closed.

* * *

A/N: The first of the last of the chapters!

REVIEW! NEXT CHAPTER ON WEDNESDAY!


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 28

 _Blackness._  
 _Whiteness._  
 _Evil._  
 _Good._  
 _Black and White._  
 _Wolves._

 _Two wolves fought in the center of a snow covered forest. Snarling and lunging at each other, teeth snapping. They danced back and forth, tails snapping along with their movements until they stopped. They stopped and turned to face Tori, a hungry stare in their eyes. Tori stood a few feet away, in the center, holding a giant steak in her hands. She stared at them warily, unsure of what to do. They would fight, like they always would, forever. Tori knew that, she didn't know how she knew that, but she did. There needed to be a winner,_

 _"Which one wins?" she found herself asking out loud,_

 _"The one you feed," a voice echoed out from the shadows. Tori whirled trying to find the culprit as the wolves let out identical loud howls, like a war cry._

Tori's eyes snapped open. Panic flared at the strange and confusing nightmare, she did not know where she was…and then everything hit her. She had died and come back, now a Talon. Tori sat up in the bed, the unfamiliar bed of an enemy. She glanced around the dark room before rolling over, hoping to get some more sleep.

After an hour of tossing and turning she gave up and instead moved to stand in the living room area…unsure of what to do. She could read…or inspect the bars to see how strong they were. Tori moved closer to the windows, only to discover that upon closer inspection, they were floor to ceiling windows with a breathtaking view of Gotham. _Her_ city, it's glittering lights and constant news helicopters. She could almost hear the sirens and horn honking. She could imagine the swarming masses of people moving through the early morning pedestrian traffic…and then she realized she could actually see just that. Tori could see for miles through the dark. If she looked closely she could see four figures running and leaping across rooftops—her _family_.

She could see them. Tori could actually see them. Her hand smacked against the window the same moment her face did…she could _see_ them. Were they thinking about her? Were they looking for her? What were they doing, which villain were they hunting that night? Tori stared at them for so long. The river glowed in the sinking moonlight, separating her from them…same as the bars which were outside the window.

Tori felt a dampness streak her cheek, she was crying. They were so close…yet so far away. Her new eyes could see them, but they couldn't see her.

The clanking of the door opening startled her as William Cobb strode into her room. Tori quickly scrubbed at her face before turning to glare at him, crossing her arms over her chest,

"Enjoying the view Victoria?" he asked,

"What does it matter to you?" she replied,

"Don't be so hostile heir, we have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it,"

"You threatened my brother and are keeping me from my family. I have every right to be hostile. You may have gotten me to give in, but I never gave up who I was before. I'm a _Crowne_ , not a Cobb," William glared at her before stepping forward. Tori shrank back, unintentionally, in fear…he'd done terrible things to her before, who's to say he won't again, but he only grabbed her wrist and pulled her from the room and down a dozen or so halls. They ended up on a steel bridge suspended above a training room. There were Talons down there, fighting in combat and making weapons in a mini forge area. Some worked with daggers, others with swords or arrows, no one remained still and no one faltered in their movements. They all moved and flowed with inhuman fluid grace and nothing broke their concentration. Tori understood all of a sudden why Talons were feared even when they had been a nursery rhyme, they emitted an uncanny aura of invulnerability…they were unstoppable,

"You are not a part of Batman or his group of disciples. You are not with your family in London. They are gone, they were a part of your old life. You have a new life. One without the family in London and one without the family that abandoned you. This is your family now. We are all that matters," Tori looked over the railing at the people drilling and drilling, waiting for their next assignment, waiting to kill,

"They did _not_ abandon me," Tori said, "You are not my family,"

"I am. I am blood. And we are here to teach you everything. We will teach you how the body and mind can work in tandem. Every little skill we teach you we expect nothing but pure mastery…and obedience for we are just the daggers that strike down targets, the Owls are the ones who point us, no matter whom we are pointed at. You will learn, whether willingly or not it is all the same. You are here and you have a purpose. What purpose did you have before? Finding a mad man who's been in Gotham this entire time?" Tori snapped her head up from the Talons to look at William in shock,

"Mac's been in Gotham the entire time?"

"Yes, Cassidy's been in London working on their 'plan' from her end, while Mac's been here working on his part,"

"Why should I believe you?" Tori stated,

"Believe me or not. You'll find the truth eventually. We will teach you to hunt for it by any means necessary. There are no boundaries we can't teach you to cross," Tori said nothing, she would not kill…she would not become a dagger to be pointed and used as if nothing else mattered. Tori would not be a monster, "Eat. Then dress. I will meet you here in an hour…we begin today."

* * *

A/N: I got the idea for her dream from the Nanticoke Indian story of the two wolves. Here's a link if you want to read it:

tale_of_two_

Next chapter on Friday!

REVIEW!


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: okay, so for some reason the link got cut off for the two wolves story...and I'm sorry for that if you were really interested in the story. :(

I'm sure you can find it if you search 'Tale of Two Wolves Story.' It'll pop up somewhere.

Okay! Here's the next chapter as promised!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 29

Tori pulled at the armored leggings, they felt friggin' weird. She was not used to wearing armor, flexible or not…or any protective gear at all. The Talon suit was weird to her, it was also damning, like she was now officially her family's enemy. It was strange how everyone back on the other side of the river was now her considered family. Yes Dick and Tim were truly her family and Jason…he could be her family one day, but Bruce, Steph, Babs, Alfred and Damian were in that category as well. Maybe it had taken what happened to her for her to realize that for all their differences, they were her family…they were the ones who had her back and right now, she had no idea where they were or if they were even looking, but they were still family no matter what.

Tori followed William down to the training area, the Talons didn't stop their work to stare or gawp at her, they just continued their training. One pair, sparring with swords nearly ran right into her, oblivious to the fact she was there or they just didn't care. He led her to the forge, which was surprisingly larger on the inside than expected, hotter too.

A Talon stood at the anvil, striking the molten metal with a hammer. He had his back to them. William waited, as did Tori, until the Talon finally put the hammer down and dunked the metal in the water bucket beside the anvil. He turned and faced William. He was tall, broad shouldered with light hair and grey eyes. Mutated veins spiraled his face and neck, _he must never leave the nest_ she thought to herself. Tori shook her head, she should not be using terms like that…should she? Tori bit her lip worriedly,

"William," the man said, "It's been a while," William smiled, actually _smiled,_

"fifty years Danbury," he said,

"What can I do for you?"

"My heir needs a teacher. A sword teacher, you are the best," Danbury frowned,

"I still have responsibility at the forge, I make all the Talons' weapons. I don't have time to train someone, even if I do owe you,"

"I know, but she's never fought before with a sword—let alone at all—I doubt she's even held one for that matter,"

"I've held a sword," Tori snapped, crossing her arms. Both men turned to look at her and Tori uncrossed her arms warily. Danbury huffed out a sigh before getting up and grabbing two swords by the points and held them out for her to see,

"Hold the one that's the better of the two," he said, Tori stared at him wondering if it was a trick question. The swords were identical. She may not have her super brain chip anymore, but she was still pretty smart for someone her age. Tori glanced at William, who frowned at her, then at Danbury who nodded towards the blades,

"Um…this one?" she said uncertainly, grasping the one in his right hand. Danbury made a 'tsk'ing noise at her choice before looking at how she held the blade,

"We have a lot of work to do," Danbury said,

"I'll get her in an hour for her next lesson," William said before hurrying from the forge,

"Well that was encouraging," Tori muttered, "What did I do wrong?" she asked. Danbury didn't reply for a minute, he just looked at her a hand to his chin,

"Are you related to William? You are his heir, I know, but his other one completely rejected the idea and I don't know if he just picked you up off the street or if you are actually related,"

"I'm his great-granddaughter," she stated flatly,

"Right, I can see it now,"

"Who are you?" Tori asked, stopping herself from snapping that she and William had nothing in common,

"I'm Danbury, and that is all you will need to know. I have been in service to the Court since the sixteen-fifties and I'm a master swordsman and blacksmith,"

"And you're teaching me because you and William are besties?" Tori asked,

"How heavy do you think a sword is?" Danbury asked, clearly done with the light discussion,

"I dunno, pretty heavy?" Tori stated, "This one is," she added, nodding to the sword she still held,

"That's because it's a bad sword,"

"Are there really bad swords?"

"Yes. Swords that are balanced and weighted correctly are actually pretty light," Danbury said, swapping the sword she held with the one he still held. The tip swept upward the moment he let go, it was still slightly too heavy, but it was generally easier to hold up than the other sword. Danbury moved closer and grabbed her wrist. He then positioned her fingers differently around the hilt, "Be careful about how you hold the sword," he said, "You never know when you will need to change or use both hands. This will give you the room and time you need to make that change." He then took her out of the forge and into a ring drawn with chalk on the concrete floor. Danbury taught her some forms and movements which she, on purpose, sloppily mimicked until he frowned and walked over to stand in front of her,

"You are William's great-granddaughter right?" Danbury asked, Tori nodded, unsure of what he was getting at, "But you didn't want to become a Talon did you?" she shook her head, "And you are not trying because of that," reluctantly she nodded. Danbury sighed and looked up into the bright lights shining down on them,

"You see those windows, lining the room above the whole training room?" Tori nodded, "That is where the Owls are. They watch at all times, making sure none of the Talons slack off. We have free time, but when it is training time, we train. They watch because they want to know who they can count on, who they can send on assignments without a doubt of success. Those they deem untrustworthy, they freeze for a time before letting them out again…the ones who still lack the motive to try afterwards, they kill," Tori looked over at Danbury sharply,

"I thought we couldn't die,"

"There is a way. The Owls have found a way. Why do you think none of us turn against them? A lot of us did not want this life. Some chose it, some were forced to choose it…but we all did it to survive. The Owls know that and came up with a way to keep us all here. We can die of old age…we _do_ age, why do you think they freeze us and created Electrum? It brings us back to life, but it also changes the speed at which we age once resurrected. We age slowly, very _very_ slowly," Tori looked up at the blackened windows,

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, I want you to try. I do not want you to fail on purpose because you think there is nothing to learn here. There are plenty of things to learn. Do you know how many people would kill for the chance to be taught by me, one of the last known swordsmen trained in several forms of sword fighting dating back to the Middle Ages? I come from a line of warriors, many of whom were both good and bad. What you do with this knowledge is up to you. I know you believe you will be rescued from this place, but if, or when, you are…take some of this knowledge you learn here back with you and put it to _use,"_

Tori looked over at Danbury, slightly stunned by his speech. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Was he just saying that so she'll try? Was he lying to her? Manipulating her…or was he trying to tell her something deeper. How did he know she expected to be rescued and why would he want her to use his teachings once out of this compound? What could he want? Tori knew he wouldn't say it outright, maybe that's a lesson in itself, but if what he said about the Owls was true…she had to try otherwise she'd be dead before her rescuers even came.

"…fine. Do we start again?" Tori asked finally,

"No," Danbury said shaking his head, "Your arms are not strong enough yet. We need to make you stronger,"

"Hey, I've had super strength for the past…um…two years. I'm not used to being just me," Tori said, crossing her arms and feeling slightly offended and awkward,

"You are anything but just you. You are a Talon, but a new one and a weak one. We need to make you strong," he said, leading her back to the forge,

"And how are we going to do that?" Tori asked,

"By putting you to work," Danbury said, holding out a hammer to her.

* * *

And put her to work did they. Tori was not prepared for the magnitude of knowledge they would hand her. None of her teachers tolerated any kind of slacking and as William said, expected nothing but mastery. William taught her most of the combative lessons such as hand-to-hand combat, archery, and dagger throwing(his specialty). He was a tough teacher, but a very good one. No wonder Dick had trouble defeating him when they fought in December. The days flew by and Tori could feel every sore bone and muscle, sometimes she could hardly move but they never let her spend a day off and some days she felt like she could hardly breath.

Marius taught her how to create and disarm explosives while Helga, one of the Talons that helped her when she first woke up, taught her everything on acrobatics and gymnastics. It was bitter work, but Tori was learning. They were masters at many different crafts and they taught Tori everything they knew. Tori did not expect to enjoy the things she learned, but _boy_ did she _learn._

Tori learned how do walk through shadows like a ghost on any surface in any shoe. She learned how to climb up a wall with no harness and barely any foot or handholds. She learned how to move so fast no one could follow her movements, not as fast as when she had super speed, but much faster than any human can. Tori learned how to track a target—no a _person_ —from miles away through night or day, good weather or bad weather. Tori learned how to track footprints and make traps. She learned to hear things from a great distance and to discern what those sounds were. Tori learned everything, she nearly mastered everything within weeks. It was hard to believe how fast time had flown, she had been a Talon for a whole month, and the others had still not come for her. Tori wasn't too concerned anymore though…as horrible as it may seem…she didn't think she'd care if they came or not.

William was very proud of her progress. The only thing that was lacking was here sword skills. Danbury was a slow, precise and practical teacher. He taught at his own pace and didn't move on until there was perfection in the last thing he had taught her. As of two weeks after he gave her her first lesson, she was still hammering away in the forge. Danbury was determined to teach her the proper way to create three different types of metal work weapons: a Spadone, a short sword and a dagger. She would not learn to use any type of sword until she mastered creating them. Tori would only learn with the weapons she made herself and no other would suffice. She asked him one day why those three swords and why only he wore three swords,

"I wear three swords because I was taught to use three swords," was all he said, "And you will learn to fight just as I did, with those three swords made by your own hand,"

"How many other Talons have you trained?"

"None," was all he said…then, "One," he amended,

"Who?"

"My son,"

"Where is he now?"

"Gone," was all he said. Tori hammered away in that forge, failing every time to make the swords the exact way Danbury wanted them. She was falling behind and if the Owls took notice, she was dead. The greatest Talon's great granddaughter or not,

"How is any of this going to help me swing a sword!" She snapped one evening, tossing the hammer aside in anger. Danbury narrowed his eyes at her from where he had been leaning against the wall. He grabbed a sword from its fastenings and moved towards her. Tori stepped back, thinking he was going to attack her…you could never be too sure here…everyone got attacked randomly whether out of anger or spite at some point or another,

"Take it," he said, holding the blade out to her. It was the heavy one, Tori took the sword, it felt wrong and she said as much, "Swing with it. Do one of the movements I taught you on the first day. I know you remember them," Tori scowled. She could not lift the blade well back then, but as she stepped and swung, the blade flew gracefully through the air with a light swooshing noise…like it was singing. She turned to face her trainer, eyes wide. Danbury nodded, a light smile on his face,

"That is why you have been here, hammering away at the forge. To lift a sword, you need the strength to do it. You heard how that blade sung? That was a faulty blade, imagine what you could do with a _real_ sword. That hammer, the one you threw and the one you have been using to shape metal for the past month? It has been strengthening you, you do not gain muscle from just lying around, even if that is not what you have been doing. You need weight and resistance, something swinging a hammer in the heat of the forge will do," Tori looked at the blade, a grin forming without her consent before she gave it back to Danbury and picked up the hammer again.

* * *

A/N: Yay! New character!

Danbury is a character I kind of borrowed from another book series I really love. He was a sword master in that book too, but he wasn't a main character and he was only mentioned, not really there, _there_ so I based this Danbury off of what I knew about him. The series he's from is the Riyria Revelations(first book is called Theft of Swords). It's really well written and I highly highly _highly_ recommend it. I'm trying to recruit fans because there's not that many people who know of the series! :)

REVIEW!

Next chapter on Sunday!


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 30

As time wore on she got better at creating swords. She learned the best way to shape the metal. Heat it then beat it into shape. It must be both strong and sharp, it cannot be breakable. There has to be the right mix of carbon and iron. Then you fold it to evenly disperse the carbon and iron in layers making them a unit that works as one by providing both strength and flexibility as well as the hardness to keep a sharp edge. It wasn't a pleasant process, it was hard and hot and included a lot of trial and error since you never knew how well the carbon and iron bonded until you dropped it in the water. Danbury taught her and finally, _finally,_ she perfected her blades. Tori had never felt more proud of the singing short sword, dagger and the giant long sword she had created.

Then the real training began.

That was a different experience in itself. They did not use swords right away, they used blunted sword shaped wooden staffs. The staffs sufficed and eventually they moved onto regular metal on metal. Danbury first taught her to use the long sword since it was the heaviest of the three. It was tiring, but Danbury never let her rest,

"Who would stop their attacks at the mere mention of exhaustion?" He'd say every time Tori tried to complain. When she did, he'd only make her switch hands and when her arm tired out he made her switch hands again. She then learned how to fight with the short sword and finally the dagger—the trickiest to use. After just singular weapon use he taught her how to use two at a time as well as when one blade would work rather than two and vice versa. Finally, all the different combinations of the blades came into play. Short and long swords, dagger and short, long and dagger.

There was no doubt in her mind that Danbury was the best swordsmen in the world. He struck with ferocity and strength as well as caution, creativity and skill. Danbury was light on his feet despite how tall and broad shouldered he was. Tori only moved lightly because of all the training she had before she learned to use the sword.

Learning to use all the combination of blades though, that was harder. She had to remember when to use a certain combination of swords and the transitions needed to sheath one blade and pull out another at the same moment. While she could not feel pain like she used to, the bruises still showed from where the metal struck her. Tori learned fast though, she had to. It was all a competition to see who could be the best, and while she didn't want to be there…it wasn't exactly non-beneficial for her to learn everything she was being taught.

Tori continued other forms of fighting and weaponry, she learned to run as silent as if she were standing still and she learned to stand as still as rock for hours on end. Talons were hunters, they didn't pounce without thinking or waiting or seeing. She learned to balance on the thinest of threads as well as to run on them too. Tori had not known how inhuman Talons were, and for once…she didn't fear it. Maybe she could be a Talon and make a difference…a good difference, once Batman came, if he ever came.

Tori's training moved to escapology, straight jackets, chains, handcuffs, doors, death chambers, underwater cages…she learned how to escape from it all. While she thought herself particularly handy in all of these tasks, there was one who was better than her…though no one talked of _him._

Tori felt amazing to be honest, she had never had so much control over her body before, or so much strength. Tori was lean and lithe, toned and strong. She was a walking, breathing weapon. Yet she still didn't know where she belonged. Had Batman given up on her? Had he assumed her dead and never bothered to look for her? Would he even let her join him if she came back, or would she stay with the Court and comply with what they want? The thought of killing for them sickened her…she had been learning how to do it but on mannequins, not on actually people. Honestly she didn't know where she stood regarding what the Court wanted and what she believed. Tori spent many sleepless nights worrying about it, her dreams and nightmares centered around those two views: _to kill…or not to kill?_

One that particularly haunted her was of the two wolves, always fighting and it was always the same. It ended before she could determine who had spoken and which wolf won. Another was of her…there were two of her, identical and wearing Talon uniforms. Though one of her looked different: she was dark, her eyes dead with half-moons under them…wolf eyes, hungry for the kill. The other was lighter, but still very dark…though her eyes were alight with life. There was a line on the ground, the first time she dreamt the dream, it was crystal clear on the ground…but each night a section of it vanished or blew away…like it was blurring into oblivion. Those dreams haunted her…she did not know what to make of them.

Other dreams that marred her sleep were of William and his beatings, they never left her and she lived in constant fear of that happening again…but she'd never let him know it or anyone else.

One day William must have decided she was particularly trustworthy because he took her to Gotham. He actually took her to one of the many rooftops in Gotham. Her heart soared, she could leave! She could go home, she just needed to get the slip on _—*CLICK*—_ Tori looked down at her wrist where William had just clamped an electronic bracelet,

"Don't get any ideas. Wherever you go or try to go, I will know where you are and only I can remove it. The device also gives an electric shock once it is out of a certain radius," he said. Tori deflated and scowled at him,

"They would hardly recognize me," she muttered. It was true. Weeks away from the sun, even if it was the winter sun, caused her skin to pale considerably…and it wasn't just because she had died. The mutated veins did form, much to her dismay, but only on her hands and feet/ankles. She could hide them. More than anything she's gotten much more fit. She had to get new clothing two times since the first suit. Once for muscle growth and again since she slimmed down with all the calisthenics they had her do. Tori had to admit she was pretty hot…but that was her opinion…what would Jason think if he saw her? Would he be ashamed because of what she'd become? Or would he still love her despite her change? Tori sighed before moving over to where William stood, looking down and across the street below. Since she couldn't leave without him knowing where she was, she might as well see what he wants,

"What are we doing here?" she asked, her breath fogging in the cold air. Gotham always had cold winters, which wasn't particularly good for Talons. They adapted and created a thermal cloak to go with their suit. It was designed to keep the wearer significantly warmer yet remain lightweight and aerodynamic for all the jumping, flipping, fighting and running they do. Tori personally loved the cloak, it had a hood and she always had it up…not just to keep her ears warm, but so that she could hide whatever faces she made at her instructors. Tori had made the mistake of making a face when they could see her and regretted it since,

"I am giving you a lesson," William said, still looking down and around the street. It was a less populated area of Gotham, plus it was late at night,

"What's the lesson?" Tori asked, rolling her eyes in the safety of her cloak,

"To not fear," he said,

" _'To not fear?'_ What does that even—," she didn't get to finish her sentence. William grabbed her by the arms and tossed her off the side of the building. Tori couldn't help it, she screamed even as she hit the sidewalk. It didn't hurt, it was just surprising to see all her limbs break and twist in awkward angles and the blood from her head leak as it hit the concrete. The bleeding stopped almost as soon as it began and her body twisted itself back into it's original position with loud pops and grinding noises, none of it hurt. It was only then as she sat up did she realize how her heart was pounding in her chest. Tori stood up shakily and slightly flinched when William landed lightly beside her,

"What the hell was that?" Tori snapped, flexing her fingers to make sure they were all facing the same way,

"You screamed," he said, clearly disappointed,

"That tends to happen when you're flung from the top of a building with no warning!"

"Injuries and falling happen all the time throughout the job. You can't feel pain therefore you shouldn't show it,"

"You tossed me off of a building just so you can tell me not to show pain?" William nodded, "You could have just told me that,"

"Most truths are not given outright," he said,

 _"Riiiggghht,"_ Tori said crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, "Is that the only reason you took me out?"

"No," William said, "I have an assignment,"

"Oh…okay?" she said, wondering why he brought her out when—then it hit her, "Oh no. Uh-uh, no way. I am _not_ helping you on this assignment," William glared at her,

"The Grandmaster wanted to give this assignment to you alone. You've shown tremendous skill in everything we have taught you in two months. You are now a master swordsman—er—woman according to Danbury. He's taught you all he can, nothing to do other than practice. Then I reminded Grandmaster of your…outlandish hopes of rescue and he decided it was not a good idea for you to take this assignment alone,"

"How could I ever thank you," Tori muttered, then, "I'm not doing it,"

"I figured. So I decided to be nice and do it for you, think of it as an apology for torturing you into this life. You'll wait outside," Tori said nothing, he said not so show pain and she figured he meant mental pain as well as physical,

"Fine. Who's the guy we're…um…going after," she finished lamely, William looked annoyed by that but told her nonetheless,

"We are to assassinate Jarrett Marbury and Louis Peeves,"

"Isn't he running for mayor…and the other guy, isn't he some CEO at some corporation?" Tori asked, albeit uncertainly,

"Yes. Peeves is going to help fund Marbury's campaign. The Owls want their representative to win, to do that we need to get rid of the competition," William started to climb to the rooftops and Tori reluctantly followed. They leapt across the city, as they flew through the sky, Tori wondered what Batman and the others were doing. She missed her brother, and cousin, and her best friend…and Jason, she really really missed Jason. Tori shook her head, they hadn't come the night before or the night before that one…they weren't coming for her now.

They finally arrived at a apartment complex. It was in the nicer part of Gotham and Tori could see the top of Wayne Tower in the distance. Her mind briefly slipped into a plot of escape but William, as if sensing her thoughts, grabbed her tightly by the shoulder,

"Don't even think about it. You are a _Talon_ now. This is what Talons _do,_ this is what you were trained to do. I will do your job for you, but only this night. Any other time you are assigned to a task you will be expected to complete it…otherwise you will be frozen for a long time.  
"Imagine that happening and you waking up fifty years from now. Batman and the rest of your so called 'family' as well as your family in London all dead?" Tori swallowed, tears prickling her eyes before she gave him a stiff nod of understanding, "Good girl," he said with an affectionate pat on the cheek, which Tori returned with a glare—she should have tried to bite his finger off— before he headed off stealthily to the inside of the apartment complex.

Tori waited, and waited…she was actually bored. How long was an assassination supposed to take? She leaned on the wall of the stairwell building that lead down into the building, arms crossed. Her eyes moved to Wayne Tower…she could make a break for it…move until she found Batman. She could fight through the shock…she couldn't feel pain! Although she'd never experienced being electrified before. Bruce would get the bracelet off of her and while she'd live in constant fear of the Court assassinating her, she'd be with her family again.

 _Family_ she scoffed in her mind, _what kind of family abandons their own?_ Tori sighed. There it was again, that glimmer of defeat and realization that maybe Bruce hadn't really cared about her. All that talk of finding Mac and stopping him as well as rescuing all those kids that had been taken by the mad man…that had meant nothing. Maybe it had meant something at one point, but then…then…Tori didn't even know. She was so confused on where her loyalties lie, it was giving her headaches, it was making her question herself and she didn't like that.

Gunshots snapped her from her internal ramblings, standing up straight she pushed herself out towards the open rooftop wondering if maybe she should go in and help—guns were not the Talons' way—but help him with what? Killing them? Would she help them and not William despite what that meant as a result? Or would she actually end up _helping_ William? Tori groaned and grabbed the sides of her head,

"What is _wrong_ with me!" she yelled at the sky. Suddenly the door swung open, making Tori freeze. She thought it was William until she saw how portly the man was as well as he was blond instead of dark haired…that and he had a gun. For a second they just stared at each other in complete shock, before the man darted to the side of the door,

"Not another one of you!" He moaned in panic and fear. He raised his gun at her. Tori knew it wouldn't hurt, she knew it would just feel like a light pinch and that was it. She knew it would probably pop out the other side of her body or get pushed out when her healing factor kicked in. There would be hardly any blood and nothing but a hole in her cloak and suit…but Tori reacted without thinking.

Weeks and weeks of the same drills over and over again were engraved in her brain, everything second nature. Her hand went to the Talon daggers that lay across her shoulders. The dagger was in her hand before she could process what was happening and before the man could blink. Before he could pull the trigger or Tori could stop herself, she threw it. A flick of the wrist was all it took and the dagger was sailing through the air…and it struck home. Right in his heart. The man, Jarrett or Louis—she wasn't sure, dropped his weapon and looked down at the blade in his chest in shock as he slumped to his knees,

"No, no, no," Tori whimpered, "No…no, _please_ no…I am so sorry. Oh my God, I am so sorry…no no please _no,"_ she ran to the man as he started to fall forward and lifted him up against the wall. After the blade was yanked out and chucked onto the concrete of the rooftop she placed her hands over the wound in attempt to save him,

"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen…I'm so sorry. I'm going to get you—," Tori was going to say 'help' but who was she kidding? There was no help. Not when a Talon kills you, even with Batman protecting the city. Tori didn't feel shame when tears started to fall over a dead man she didn't actually know. She could feel it as he took his last exhale…she knew what that felt like…she could see the light leave his eyes…and just like that he was gone. William finally calmly walked up the steps, cleaning his knife off as he closed the door to the roof,

"Excellent throw," he said. Cobb didn't comment on her tears, "Marbury is dead. So is Louis, the assignment is complete," Tori glared at him from her crouched spot on the rooftop,

"This was a trick. You had no intention of keeping me from this assignment," she snapped, her voice thick,

"You needed to learn how to do what a Talon is meant to. You knew how to do it. The only thing holding you back was that ridiculous idea that violence is avoidable, that killing is something that is inhuman rather than part of nature. Killing was not a drug or disease thrust upon mankind, it was how we _survived_. It was kill or be killed and you best learn that by your next assignment or it will be you who is frozen, which is as good as dead," William glared at her before turning and heading to the edge, "I will give you some time to get your head back on straight. I expect you on the next rooftop over in five minutes exactly, not a minute later. Someone's bound to have heard the gunshots and called the police…also, take the dagger back with you. Talons leave no trace,"

Tori watched him go, her tears lessening and drying on her face…she didn't wipe them away. She only stood, grabbing the dagger as she did so, before thinking of something. Glancing at the direction William had gone her heart rate picking up at the idea she had formed in her head. She then glanced down at the dagger before turning back to the man. Pulling another blade, a clean blade, free and then taking out the dagger she had made herself,—she brought it with her always…it was her pride and joy as well as her favorite weapon in a tie with the short sword she had created—Tori took her dagger and started to scratch the surface of the lightweight Talon throwing dagger. Hands trembling she tossed the blade over at the wall. She watched it fall, clattering into the pool of blood near the body, before leaping from the roof and to the next.

* * *

A/N: What did Tori carve into the dagger? Tune in Monday for the answer!

Please REVIEW! I'd like to know what you all think of these past few chapters. Good? Too dark? Too cliche? Just give a quick word and it'll make my day!


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 31

Everything was red. The white granite floors were flooded with the color red. The owl fountain's water was tinged red, Tori's clothes and hands were red…but she stood calmly as her opponent dropped to the floor dead. In her clawed hand his once beating heart. Inside she was a mess of nerves, she did not want to do that…but she saw the necessity of it. He was an old Talon, she was the new. It was their way. The old Talon faced the new and whoever killed the other in the winding labyrinth of the Talon Maze, was officially a Talon. Just becoming one meant nothing, only when you've killed your predecessor were you a member of the Talon Assassin Guild.

Everything was wrong. It was like she was a whole other person on the outside. She went on assignments all through Gotham, and she completed every one of them. Tori could see the pained and defeated look Danbury gave her when they sparred. The expression puzzled her. He was a Talon, why give her that look? Why give her sympathy when she's only done what every Talon has to do,

"You did not want to be a Talon," Danbury said one evening as they danced around the ring, "Be something that can change the way the world looks upon Talons,"

"I'm merely a dagger to be pointed," she said, "You told me that Dan. I can't have the Owls ice me," Tori smacked his short sword away and ducked under the dagger as he arced it for a stab at her neck,

"They are using you," Tori thrust forward and Danbury pivoted out of the way,

"They use _everyone_ ," Tori snapped trying to stab him again, " _Stop it_. I need a trainer and you're no good to me frozen." Danbury frowned, pushing her blade away. Then shook his head and sheathed his blades,

"Until you are yourself again. I will not train with you," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. Tori swallowed painfully at the declaration,

"I can't be that person anymore. I am not who I was, I'm a Talon now…I can never be who I was! I need you to keep the Owls from freezing me!" she nearly pleaded with him. Danbury looked at her sadly,

"If that's what you think, then I cannot be your trainer. You can be the assassin and the civilian. You never want to lose side of both. It is a hard life we live, but you can be that person and who you are now. My son—," he stopped, before continuing, "—My son proved that it was possible. And I promised him that I'd convince the next person I trained it was possible as well. I made a promise, and I will pull through…but not when you have given up. I'll be here when you're ready," Danbury looked to her with a determined stare before walking back to his forge. That had been her lowest point while with the Talons. Her chest throbbed with pain at the fact that her own teacher, someone who she'd grown close to in the short span of two and a half months, refused her train her because she had changed. She puzzled over the mention of his son who she assumed was dead…even so, she trained and sparred and trained and sparred on her off time, alone or with other Talons—never with Danbury, never again.

Tori was on autopilot…but she did not forget. She remembered her family and how they promised to come for her, no matter what. How they promised to find her and help her—and they lied. Tori was angry, she was so _angry_ at them. How could they do this to her? What had she done to make them forget about her? But at the same time, she yearned for them. She yearned for laughter and smiles and hugs and cuddles…for she had none with the Talons.

Maybe they knew…maybe they knew she killed Louis and so many others…maybe they didn't think she was worth saving anymore. She had fallen so far from grace, and now…now she was something else entirely. Now Tori was the dead eyed dark and smile-less Tori from her worst nightmares. That had not been her intention, but she had no choice. She did not want to be frozen…she did not want to wake up to find her brother a wrinkled elderly man or Alfred, Bruce and Dick dead…or Jason too old to love her anymore. Was it selfish to end a few lives so she could see them again? They were corrupt people, they did many horrible things to others for personal gain—but by killing them, didn't that make her exactly like them?—Tori couldn't think about that, she needed to survive. She needed to be freed and if she had to wait forever—she would. If she had to kill forever to survive and see her family and loved ones again, even if from a distance, she would. Tori could survive every murder that took away a piece of who she had been. Tori could live through countless nights of nightmare wracked dreams. Tori could live through being told who to kill without a reason other than they are corrupt or they interfere with the Courts plans. But then again, what plans did they even have? They were in the shadows…they did not want to catch the attention of Batman…not after he took out so many of their precious Talons. Something from within told her to explore those questions, but she ignored the feeling. What the Owls schemed were not her problems, she was only the dagger they pointed.

Tori felt like a shell. A hard surface filled with a raw emotion that was dying to come out. She was a shell as she walked out of the maze that day. Tori was a shell when a day later she walked to where the Grandmaster sat in his throne-like chair and assigned her a new mission. New targets. As he explained what she was to do…Tori couldn't help it…a smile grew. This might be the only assignment she'd actually enjoy. But she wouldn't tell anyone that. No one had to know…but this assignment was justice to her.

* * *

 _Red._  
Red everywhere again. Over the carpeted floor, the floor to ceiling windows, desks and tables…computers and lab equipment. Everywhere was red and everywhere there was a person in a white lab coat dead on the floor. Tori stood facing the windows, surveying her work, blood dripping from the tip of her short sword and dagger. Briefly her mind wandered to her family here and all she sacrificed for them…and they'd never know. Tori glared at the electronic bracelet on her wrist. She hadn't run yet, why did Cobb still distrust her? Sighing she turned to glare at the logo painted on the wall, _BioTech_ written in block lettering beneath it.

They'd gotten what they deserved, Tori smirked darkly at the prone figure of Cassidy King,

"If only Mac were here," Tori muttered to herself. Suddenly the sound of light footsteps behind her sounded Tori whirled around blades in hand only to stop short at the sight of a young boy. Probably around eight or seven years old, he stared up at her with big round eyes before looking at all the people—no bodies—on the floor,

"Daddy?" he asked out loud. Tori stared. She stared and stared until she thought of another little boy, Cameron, looking at her with the most trust humanly possible in his eyes saying, _'…I want mommy and daddy!'_ Her mind's eye thought back to a story she once heard of a boy who walked into an alleyway, his hands in both of his parents', when a man struck them down in front of him. Joe Chill. That's who the man was…Joe Chill. A realization peaked through her shell… _she_ was this boy's Joe Chill… _she_ was the monster. Something she never, not even now, wanted to be. The fact settled upon her with icy horror.

That hard shell—the tough exoskeleton that prevented her from feeling, that clouded her mind from the horror she wrought on so many people—shattered. Tori could feel her mind clear and her eyes finally see the devastation that lay out in front of her…the damning actions that she committed. Her failure to remain strong and stay true to who she had been before. Tori could see clearly for the first time since becoming a Talon how wrong she had been…all the wrong she had done by giving up. The red on her clothes and hands will never come out—but it's all programmed in her mind and body. The murderous skills soul deep and dissolved into her very being. She can't undo the knowledge and skills…she couldn't undo what she's done either.

Tori's weapons clattered to the ground. The boy still stared innocently up at her. She fell to her knees and his gaze shifted downward, the weight of the truth settled upon her shoulders,

"What have I _done?"_ she whispered,

"Daddy!?" the boy called out again and a light turned on outside the room where Tori had lured everyone in the BioTech building. The door opened and a man poked his head in,

"Chase, I told you not to wander off—," he froze when he saw the bodies and Tori kneeling on the ground, "Chase, get away from that! I'm calling the cops!" Tori blinked uncomprehendingly at the man as he pulled out his phone. But she knew enough to feel relief, and gratitude,

"Thank you for letting me see the way," she whispered to the boy, before throwing a smoke pellet at the ground and disappearing without a trace.

Tori went straight to the forge, Danbury was hammering away at the anvil, his back to her. Tori waited until he put the hot metal in the water, the hiss echoing the ringing silence, before she spoke,

"You were right," she said, her voice wobbling, Danbury glanced at her over his shoulder, before looking away and raising his hammer again,

"There is a way to be who I am now and who I was," he stopped the motion of the hammer mid-stroke and looked at her, "You were right…I don't know how I'll be able to be both a Talon and—who I was before…but…" she let the thought tapper off,

"Was I now?" he asked, warily…though there was a twinkle in his eye,

"I'm so _tainted_ now," Tori said, "What if there's no old me left,"

"Then you will create an new old you out of what you have left," Danbury said, "My boy…he left…escaped. I do not know where he is now—well where his descendants are—I never bothered to look because I knew the Owls would want them to become Talons,"

"I can't escape. Not with everyone watching my every move. I'd have to wait for…them," Tori sighed, "I don't think I'm even worth rescuing anymore," Danbury looked at her with only understanding in his gaze before lifting an old and battered sword from the wall,

"When swords break, they can be mended…and at the places where they are fixed, they are often stronger than before. The same goes for daggers," he said, stroking a seam of solder on the blade, giving her a small smile,

"I don't think I'm mended just yet and I don't think they'll come. They probably thing I'm dead…besides…I'm a lost cause," Tori said, looking at her hands, waiting for phantom blood stains to appear like Lady Macbeth,

"There's always a way," Danbury said, his tone suggesting he knew something she didn't, "Now let's spar, otherwise the Owls will get suspicious,"

"What have you done?" Tori asked, worry for her mentor seeping in,

"Have no fear my dear. For I have done nothing but helped you see the error of your ways," he said, nodding at her to get in the proper stance. Warily, Tori complied.

* * *

Next chapter on Wednesday! PLEASE REVIEW!


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 32

Jason wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. Dick and Tim certainly did. Steph didn't look as bad, but still, she was just Tori's friend. Bruce was still the same, he always was. Worry or stress never seemed to show on his stone cold face…the bastard. Jason hadn't been sleeping enough, he felt a throbbing pain right at his temples and it was fucking annoying. He couldn't just stop, he couldn't just rest, not until Tori was found. This was even worse than last time. Last time, she'd been declared 'dead' less than a week after her 'accident.' This time she'd been gone for almost three months. He refused to believe anything other than the fact that she's still alive—with the Talons—but still alive. That was all anyone believed, if someone even tried to voice otherwise if it wasn't Jason it was Dick or Tim who snapped at the person to shut up.

The Red Hood leapt to the next building over, trying to find any clues relating to the mysterious death a little more than a week ago. One of the candidates for Mayor and his corporate funder guy. It had been in an unusual area for men of their social status, implying that the money being collected was not legal…at all. What was even more curious was the fact that there was a weapon found at the scene. It wasn't the evidence left behind that was so significant, it was who left the piece that was the interesting part. It was a Talon blade. Only covered in blood because it had been tossed at the area where the body was. No skin cells on the blade and a chipping on the bricks where it had struck first. Even more significant, there was a message on the blade. It was short and to the point: _Over the river ~ T._ It was crudely scratched into the blade, but the person who wrote it was clear. Tori had been in the area the night the two men had been murdered…whether she had killed him herself willingly or not, was still unclear.

Jason knew Tori wasn't one for killing. But he knew she did not care for any of the madmen in Gotham's well-being. If they died, she wouldn't care, if one died right in front of her, she wouldn't bat an eye. She was particularly bitter towards the Arkham villains, not just because of what they did to innocents, the Batfamily or Jason, but because they often threatened the rich of Gotham, mainly her other family. It had happened a few years ago…when she was twelve. Jason had been fourteen and extremely angry he couldn't do anything to help anyone. The Penguin had tried to use Liam to ensure his own safety. Took hours to get the poor boy back. After that, any sympathy Tori had for the villains of Gotham vanished. Yet…this didn't seem like her…but if she was William's great granddaughter, Jason didn't want to believe it…but it was very possible the Talons were teaching Tori to kill.

He leapt to another building when the other proved to be empty. The whole family had been searching warehouse districts and countryside over the river from the city ever since finding the weapon, only leaving a few to handle Gotham as a whole. Hopeful another breakout won't happen soon otherwise they were all screwed. All proved to be empty, but there were still many places to look. Jason opted to search the warehouses because it seemed more likely the Court was hiding out in those areas since they could easily be expanded and have secret rooms. He was about to leap to the next building when he saw it: a flash of black and gold out of the corner of his eye. Jason immediately switched direction and followed the black suited man…since it was clearly a man even from a distance…not bothering to tell anybody. Jason really wanted to have a word with this Talon.

The man move faster than humanly possible, especially for his height and build. Jason pushed himself to keep up. They leapt from building to building until they arrived at the edge of the warehouse area, a few ways away from an island hidden from view of the City. Jason shook his head, he had nearly forgotten about that place. Founder's Island they called it. The island was named that because the founders of the city stopped there a really stormy night on their way to their destination. They determined the area was too small to permanently live and left when the storm let up for what was now known as Gotham. No one lives there and not many people even know of its significance.

The Talon leapt one more building over and stopped, he turned to face Jason. The Red Hood glared at the monster from underneath his helmet before leaping over to join him. As soon as he landed he pulled out his gun, aiming it squarely at the man's head,

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right here and now. I know a bullet to the brain can kill you guys and from this distance I won't miss," The Talon held up his hand in a gesture of peace,

"There is no need for violence," he said. His voice was deep and had an old time-y ring to it, "I only offer you information, besides, you are still far enough away that I could dodge any bullet you shoot at me,"

"Information on…?" Jason ground out. He did not want to draw negative attention towards Tori by calling her out if the man was not here to discuss her. This whole meeting could be a trap for all he knew. The Court and Talons hated the Bat Clan,

"Victoria Crowne," the man said. Jason felt his grip on the trigger tighten slightly before internally deciding to hear what he had to say. If it turned out false…he'd kill him later. All he had to do was get close enough and place a tracker on him. Making a show of stowing his gun he warily moved across the rooftop to where the Talon stood at the edge,

"Who are you and what do you know?"

"I am Danbury. And that is all you need to know,"

"You think I really care about who you are? I just want to know where Tori is. Tell me and leave,"

"You asked," Danbury said, if Jason could see his face, he'd imagine the man rolling his eyes, "She is on Founder's Island. The only place no one would think to look. We all are," Jason felt very suspicious,

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked,

"I am her trainer," Danbury said, "She has been so strong through the duration of her…forced…stay with us. But she is slipping," Jason felt a surge of worry and guilt. They were taking too long,

"Why are you risking your life to tell me this? You know what will happen if they find out you told me where you all are," Jason said, he needed to make sure this wasn't a scam,

"I have been alive since the sixteen-thirties and a member of the Talons since the sixteen fifties. My son was a Talon like me, but he escaped. He could not take being a murderer anymore…and he was in love with a young woman. He wanted to be with her without the fear of the Court forcing him back or taking his children or the endless killing…he left. What I believed impossible…he succeeded in. When he left he told me…made me promise to keep the next person I trained away from the darkness…away from the mindlessness that is the Talons' ways. I am trying to fulfill that promise,"

"How many have you saved?" Jason asked warily…he didn't want to know how many times he'd failed. He didn't want to think of him failing with Tori,

"I have only ever trained one other since Hadrian left," Danbury said, "And I fear that I am failing in that department. Come. Save her and maybe my promise will finally be achieved," Jason nodded,

"I will," was all he said. The Talon nodded before moving to leap off the roof, but Jason grabbed him by the back of the Talon mask, slipping a tracker underneath the fabric, "Wait. You know that if you're lying about any of this and this is a trap to capture my family and I. I will end you—right?"

"I did not think they were your family Red Hood…but yes, I understand," Danbury said before leaping away. Jason stood there a moment, contemplating whether or not he should even bother to correct the asshole, before deciding it wasn't worth it. He had work to do…and…it wasn't exactly false.

* * *

Tori was in her room, dozing slightly on her bed—she had not been sleeping well, when a commotion sounded throughout the compound. Sitting up she dashed out of her room and to the hallway. The pristine white walls and floor were littered with thundering footfalls of every Talon in the place. Tori blinked uncomprehendingly at the mass off black, gold and brown. She stayed in the doorway of her room, watching as everyone ran by, weapons in hand. Tori only moved when the last trickled by. Slowly, she followed everyone else. She didn't know what was going on, but her heart was hammering in her chest and she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It felt like she was nervous and she wasn't sure why.

As she neared the training room, which was filled with shouts, yells and the clang of metal on metal…on a few occasions the sound of gunfire. Were they under attack? And if so…by whom? Tori felt like she knew the answer…but didn't want to believe it. There was no way, not after all this time…but…a girl could hope. The sounds died down eventually, and by that time Tori had made it to the entryway of the training room. Several dead and wounded Talons lay by the door, slowly getting to the their feet and shaking out their limbs as they snapped back into place. Tori couldn't see who was in the center of the room, but she could hear William,

"—You were fools for coming here," he was saying, "Attacking our base in the dead of night when we are at our most aware," Tori couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, it was only a partial truth. They slept in the later hours of night, like the Bats after their patrol. Sighing at the fact that she won't see anything until a path opened to the center of the room, she settled on listening,

"I could kill you all with my own hand…but…I don't think I will. I think I will let our newest fully recognized Talon do the honors. My heir!" Tori felt frozen, for the first time in a long time, with shock. He was making her kill some people in front of everyone. Talons who stood by her moved to make way, and slowly she made her way through the path they had made.

As she drew closer, she realized with dawning horror and relief, it was her family. It was Dick, Tim, Damian, Stephanie, Barbara and Jason—and Batman. As she drew even closer she felt a stab of longing when looking at Jason…but even stronger, a stab of anger at the sight of Bruce. She had no idea what had kept them. Whether it was something truly important or something only Batman thought was important…and he had better have a good explanation otherwise—she didn't know what she'd do. They were all bound, hands behind their backs, with electric cuffs. William stood a little ways away, smirking as she slowly drew closer still. She could see the control for the cuffs at his waist.

Finally, she stopped by William's side. Tori had been playing the perfect Talon ever since she had returned from her mission in London. Ever since then she's regretted everything she's done for the Court…but…just this once, she was willing to play the perfect Talon once more. She was angry enough for it that's for sure…but she didn't want to fully be that Talon again. The one who killed without mercy and she was afraid that one more kill could permanently destroy anything good in her. Danbury, who was off in the corner watching with narrowed eyes, believed it was possible for her to be her old self and new self as one in a balanced harmony. A little bit goodie two shoes and a little bit dark baddie. Like Jason, someone who killed but only when no other option presented itself/ when necessary. Blinking out of her thoughts and letting a calm mask her features she looked over at Cobb, completely ignoring the others,

"You called?" she asked, William nodded to her blades, each strapped to her waist and over the shoulder, a dark satisfied and wicked grin on his face,

"Yes. Kill them," he said. Tori allowed a glance. Dick had gone white, Tim's lips were pressed in a tight line, Jason's helmet was on so there was no telling his expression, Damian looked unconcerned…though it was probably an act, Barbara looked calculatingly at Tori while Stephanie just looked panicked—she had never been good at masking her emotions—she looked back at William,

"Right here? Right now?"

"Yes. Do it," Tori turned to them, pulling out her long sword, a slow and lazy smirk forming,

"With pleasure." Tori said darkly.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter on Friday! Please please please REVIEW!


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

Chapter: 33

There was no way it could be Tori. There was no way that could be his cousin. The moment William had called for his heir all hope that Tori was only being held captive to convince him to become a Talon disappeared. As Tori pranced through the mass—the very large mass—of Assassins to stand beside William, all hope of her ever being the same Tori disappeared. Jason had said Tori was in danger of slipping, of going completely dark…but they didn't know how close or how far. Danbury the Talon hadn't been completely informative on her condition either. It was clear what she had become. She was pale, like the color had been leeched from her skin—it could also be the lights—and she wore the armor of a Talon. She did not wear the Talon mask, which was a relief because Dick would not have been able to contain his anger if she had.

Tori was gone. Her eyes were dead sapphires, void of any light, and it was all his fault. He should have looked harder, he should have never mentioned William on that rooftop where so many prying eyes and ears could be, and he should have never taken her to Crowne Manor where he was now sure that they had been spied on by Talons each time they visited the ruins. Tori smiled at them, a lifeless smile and started forward. Her six foot long sword by her side and stopped in front of Bruce. Tim was struggling to break free of the chains, Barbara was trying to reach for a bobby pin in her hair while Stephanie tried to shimmed her arms around to the front,

"Tori, you don't have to do this!" Dick said, he had to try. Tori glanced at him from where she stood before placing the tip of the blade under his chin,

"I was ordered to kill you all. I'm _following_ orders," she spat, something she'd been told by Bruce multiple times she had to be able to do if she wanted to go out with them…completely justified that she's throwing that bit back in their faces,

"I didn't think you've fallen so low as to murder a ten year old boy's father," Damian snapped, though there was a slight tremor in his voice. The Talons were still at their outbursts, Tori included. What Damian said must've struck a nerve,

"I've fallen far haven't I?" she breathed out, swallowing, looking very conflicted. She even started to glance back at William before stopping herself, "I'm just so _angry_ ," she muttered,

"At who?" Barbara asked, "Us?"

"You didn't _come_ ," Tori hissed, narrowing her eyes and jabbing the blade deeper under Bruce's chin. She had an accusatory tone,

"Can't say I blame her," Jason muttered finally. Tori stiffened, but didn't look his way. Dick decided not to comment on that at the moment,

"What are you waiting for?" William snapped,

"An explanation," Tori whispered, as if to herself, "Why did it take you so long to come?" she asked Bruce, who hadn't taken her eyes off of her,

"Will you kill me if the answer is not what you wanted to hear?" Tim sucked in a breath at the response Bruce gave her. Tori cocked her head to the side,

"It would be so easy," she said. Tori sounded like she believed it…no knew it…, "but I don't want to kill anyone," she whispered it as if afraid the Talons would hear. Even though they probably could,

"If you don't kill them. I will," William yelled, "And you will be frozen!" Tori's eyes flashed with fear and she spun to face Cobb before she spun back around, the blade not moving an inch,

"Tell me. Please," she almost begged it seemed, though her eyes remained dark,

"The Joker kidnapped Agent A and started attacking people closest to us," Bruce said, "He targeted workers at Arkham Asylum as well. We had to stop him," Tori closed her eyes, still as a rock. When she opened them again, Dick was surprised to see them filled with light and life, and understanding. She gave them a wink before spinning around faster than humanly possible to face William Cobb. With defiance in her stance she uttered one word,

"No," William stared at her in shock before his face twisted in anger,

"No?" he echoed, _"NO!"_

"I will not kill them. I will not kill my family!" Tori snapped at him. Dick was so confused but also so relieved that Tori was no longer trying to kill them,

"You will be frozen for this! Forever! You will never walk on the earth while your family lives!" William shouted, marching towards her. Tori stood her ground and raised her blade at him. Cobb stopped short,

"Don't forget who trained me," she said, sickly sweet, "On your insistence," she added,

"You are a Talon. You belong to us!"

"I am Victoria Emilia Crowne. I am not yours to control. I am my own person and yes, I've done horrible things because you told me to. Yes I obeyed you, but that was because I thought I had no choice, I thought I was a lost cause. But you know what I'm realizing? Nothing is lost. Anything can be found whether it's a lost slipper or your own damned soul in need of some light. I may be an assassin. I may be completely different than who I was before, but no one tells me what to do and who to be. I am my own person and I choose not to kill them, they are my _family_. They are the Knights of Gotham or whatever the paper calls them and I am a knight. I am a guardian of Gotham no matter my methods…and you threatened this city. Worst of all you threatened my family! All of them and for that, you'll pay!" Dick was incredibly impressed with her speech and even more impressed with her deranged Talon act…though not all of that might have been a act. William glared at her before smiling darkly again,

"You are forgetting something little granddaughter. You are only one person. They cannot help you, I have an army and you have nothing,"

"There are only thirty Talons at a time. Twenty-nine actually. They've faced worse," Tori said, "and you taught me to take on an army three times the size of that," she said, moving into her fighting position and sheathing her long sword in exchange for her short sword and dagger,

"Even so, you are alone," William said, "Surrender and maybe we'll let you see the twenty-second century,"

"I'm not alone," Tori said, holding up a device in her hand alongside her dagger. Her back was to them but it was clearly something important because Cobb had a stunned look on his face as he patted his sides for something, "Next time. Don't take prisoners with electrically controlled handcuffs," Tori said sweetly. William recovered from his shock and yelled,

"Kill them all!" just as Tori hit the button.

* * *

Tori danced through the Talon ranks, slashing, rolling, stabbing and flipping over or around her family or other Talons. Outside she might have been all business but on the inside her heart was soaring with happiness. She was going to go home. They had come, and the only reason they didn't come before was because they were stopping the Joker. Tori could understand the urgency of that debacle. They did not just stop looking because they thought she was dead or knew of what she had done and thought her unworthy of being rescued. So far this has been the best day in forever,

"So, you're a Talon now," Dick said casually as he danced by on her left. Tori tossed him a brilliant smile before snagging a throwing dagger and chucking it at a Talon behind him,

"Yes. I am. Not exactly my choice, but c'est la vie," she said shrugging as she flipped over her cousin and landed on the same Talon she'd just stabbed with her knife throw,

"I've got to say, these Talons did train you adequately," Damian sniped as he kicked another Talon in the head a few paces away, another tried to jump him but fell at a batarang to the knee courtesy of Stephanie,

"You are seriously behind in schoolwork by the way," Stephanie said, "Thank God you sent in your application early this year otherwise you'd be in trouble,"

"Ah…almost forgot about that," Tori said, slamming another Talon into the wall. She stopped briefly to look for William, but he was nowhere in sight,

"I think we have more important problems than schoolwork," Tim said, landing next to Tori, his Bo staff in hand and crackling with electricity, "Is there a way off of this compound…also, where are the Owls?"

"They're usually up above watching us, but I think they're long gone by now. No need to go after them," Tori said, delivering a quick slash from her long sword at an oncoming Talon, severing his head from his body. Tim winced before slamming his staff into the next Talon to attack them, "Yeah. I know that's not our way—," Tori started, enjoying saying 'our' now, when Tim interrupted her,

"I was just annoyed that the only way to stop these guys is to cut their heads off…I've got no sword to do that," Tim stated, smiling wryly at her,

"Oh…" Tori said, blinking at her brother, feeling grateful he didn't think of her a monster…at least for now before he knew what else she's done while with the Court,

"Permission to use lethal force father?" Damian grunted from across the room as one Talon grabbed his cape while the other tried to stab him,

"Permission granted," Bruce growled as he slammed into the one brandishing the dagger at Damian. Dick and Barbara were handling their Talons and Jason kept shooting at them though there wasn't much bullets can do to a Talon, she knew he had his training from the All Caste, but he wouldn't have brought any All Caste weapons with him on a rescue mission—however wrong it went. Tori sliced another head off with her blade before picking up one of the fallen Talon's swords and handing it to Tim,

"Here," she said, "Danbury made it, sharpest metal in the world," she said, "Have fun," before flipping over to where Jason was. She landed so they were back to back,

"Take it I have dear old Dan to thank for this rescue mission?" Tori questioned, slicing at any Talon who came near,

"Your lack of faith is distressing," Jason replied stiffly,

"Did you just try to quote _Star Wars_?" Tori questioned, eyes wide,

"What! That's not the line?" Jason asked, clearly shocked,

"Um, no it's not," Tori said, ducking under a Talon's blade but it sliced into Jason's back,

"Ow! Damnit!" Jason snapped, tossing his gun away and picking up a spare sword off the floor,

"Sorry, my bad," Tori replied, flicking her wrists so the talon claws sprang to life. She launched herself at the Talon and dug in with the metal talons, yanking out the poor guys heart and tossing it away,

"You don't have to apologize. If anything we should be apologizing to you,"

"You got that right," Tori muttered, "I don't know whether to kiss you or slap you,"

"I'd prefer the kiss to the slap," Jason replied, slicing a head off with his stolen sword,

"Can't. You're giant red helmet is in the way," Tori said haughtily, flipping her hair back as she stabbed and kicked away another Talon. Their numbers were dwindling and many Talons lay permanently dead on the ground. Sure the Bats don't kill, but these Talons had been dead for a long time to begin with. Jason glanced at her before reaching up and yanking off his red helmet. He pressed a button on the side before tossing it away. It exploded on impact, taking out ten other Talons,

"Problem solved," he said before reaching for her the exact moment she reached for him. Tori was worried she wouldn't feel the same as she kissed him, that some Talon affect would prevent her from truly feeling love…but when his arms wrapped around her and his lips met her's, it wasn't like she hadn't kissed him in three months. It was as if he'd been there the whole time, holding her and kissing her as before…,

"Oi! There's a fight going on!" Tim yelled at them, as he slammed two Talons' heads together. Tori rolled her eyes before grabbing her long sword and throwing it through the air at a Talon, severing his head from his shoulders. Tori scanned the room again, looking for Cobb. He was still nowhere in sight, where could he be—,

"Tori! Behind you!" it was Dick, who had just started to run towards her. Tori spun around trying to twist to the side, but she still wasn't fast enough to dodge the dagger that buried itself into her side. William glared at her, his teeth set. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear,

"Even though you think you have won, you cannot change who you are in your bones. You will kill again because that is your nature now, _nothing_ will change that," with that said he uttered one more thing that stuck Tori with fear, just as true and unfailing pain coursed through her body, "This blade was dipped in serum: to _kill_ a Talon," William threw a smoke bomb and vanished, leaving Tori withering and screaming in agony as she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

A/N: Oh come on, you knew she wasn't going to kill them. Also, just felt like adding the Star Wars miss-quote in there...I thought it would be cute. :)

Next chapter on Sunday! Getting closer to the end! REVIEW, REVIEW and maybe I'll post TWO chapters on Sunday! TWO not ONE. TWO!


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 34

The moment Tori started screaming, Tim knew something was wrong. Panic set in, Talons couldn't feel pain…so why was she screaming? Everyone sprinted over, and much to his irritation, Jason got there first and pulled Tori into his lap,

"Why is she screaming?" Dick asked as he knelt down next to her. Tim shook his head,

"I don't know. She's a Talon, she can't feel pain,"

"Is she wounded anywhere else?" Stephanie asked,

"No, just the stab wound from Cobb," Jason spat, annoyed, "I was right by her too, should have seen him… _damnit_. Why won't she stop screaming,"

"We need to get her to Alfred," Bruce said, moving to lift her up, but Jason just glared at Bruce and held her closer…the bastard,

"I've _got_ her," Jason said, starting to get up,

"Move," a very stern voice snapped from behind them. Everyone snapped out a weapon while Jason just fell back on his heels again as a tall and broad shouldered Talon approached hurriedly. It was then that Tim realized most of the Talons had disappeared, the Owls too,

"Who are you?" Bruce growled, eyeing Tori worriedly, she still hadn't stopped screaming and was withering in Jason's arms,

"If you do not let me help her she will die," the Talon said, "For _good_ this time," he added for good measure. Dick looked helplessly at Bruce, pleading with his eyes until their mentor nodded his consent. The Talon moved to kneel beside Tori and Jason when surprisingly Damian stepped forward and placed himself between the Talon and Tori,

"How do we know _you_ won't just kill her?" the ten year-old snapped, crossing his arms,

"There is a serum coursing through her veins that will dissolve the necrotic tissues, it will use the Electrum in her veins as a quickening agent and it _will_ kill her unless you let me help,"

"You're Danbury under that mask aren't you?" Jason asked, the Talon nodded, "Let him through Demon Brat," Damian scowled but moved away. Danbury knelt by Tori and examined the wound. Eventually he clucked,

"Hm. Not enough to kill…but seriously injure,"

"You can heal her right?" Barbara asked, she had a hand on Dick's shoulder as if to comfort him. They were all a mess of nerves, even if not all of them showed it, they would not lose Tori right after they just got her back,

"I can, just means I do not need as much of the cure as I thought I did,"

"So this serum can kill a Talon like cutting off the head and ripping out the heart?" Tim asked,

"Yes. Only the Owls have it and no one else but them know how to make it. If you are quick enough you can use a cure to stop the quickening agent," Danbury said,

"How did you get that stuff?" Stephanie asked as he injected it into Tori's wound,

"My son created it and gave me the cure in secret, should I ever need it. He became a chemist later when the technology in the world improved,"

"Thought your son left and you never saw him again," Jason asked, starting to stand as Tori's screams broke off into whimpers,

"I lied and we Talons live a long time, even without being frozen," Danbury said, "Sedate her. It will take a few days but she will heal…there will be a scar for sure though, but I do not think she will care…she will finally be home." With that Danbury disappeared into the night,

"C'mon," Bruce said, "Let's take Tori home and get some well deserved rest."

* * *

They rushed home faster than any of them thought was possible, the Batmobile skidded three inches over its stopping point that's how fast Batman was driving. It was because Tori started screaming in the car. Everyone hurried out and Bruce, this time, carried her over to where Alfred waited in the med area with a syringe full of sedative and a medical cot waiting for her. Bruce laid her down gently and Alfred expertly administered the syringe. Tori slowly quieted, only her breathing was erratic,

"We need to take blood samples," Bruce said, "We need to make sure the serum is leaving her system and that this so called cure worked,"

"On it," Tim said, dashing for the equipment,

"Alfred, check her over and make sure she's in considerable health…despite the fact that she's a Talon,"

"Of course Master Bruce. Miss Stephanie and Miss Barbara, help me get her out of this atrocity of a uniform and into something more comfortable," the girls moved forward while Alfred glared at the boys who hovered nearby, "You best wait outside," he said sternly. Sheepishly they moved. They stood outside for five whole minutes only to come running at Stephanie's shriek,

"What is it?" Barbara asked, moving to where her friend stood, "Oh my God!" she gasped stunned before she scowled in anger,

"What is it?" Jason asked, before walking over to where they were. The instant he saw what they were seeing his expression darkened and he just turned and walked out of the area before flipping the equipment table over in anger. Alfred, who'd just finished giving Bruce the blood samples, as well as Tim finally came over and saw what had made Jason so upset,

"My word!" Alfred gasped. They were looking at Tori's back. Her head had lolled to the side where Barbara was gingerly holding the younger girl up by the arm, Stephanie held the other. It was covered in an array of pale scar tissue, all in vigorous slashes, at least thirty on her back, maybe more. Some were more visible than others and it was hard to tell how many there actually were. Tim's mouth went dry and his fists balled in anger. He wanted to hit something but couldn't make his feet move to the punching bags or cave wall. Tim opened his mouth, wanting to say something but found himself forcing it closed, he couldn't find the words to describe the anger and guilt he felt. His little sister had been _tortured_ , for a long time by the amount of slashes on her back. Dick, who had gone to gather clothes for Tori to change into had just returned,

"What are you looking at?" he asked. Barbara shook her head as he moved to look,

"Dick don't—," she started, but she was too late, he had seen. Dick didn't say a word, his face just hardened before he dropped the clothes on the stand and walked out of the cave, still in his uniform. Barbara watched him go in worry,

"I need to go after him," she said, "What if he goes to the roof—he likes high places and—,"

"Go," Tim said his voice gruff, "I've got her," Barbara nodded in gratitude before dashing out of the cave, still in her uniform as well. They quickly changed her out of the Talon suit and into sweatpants and a large comfy T-shirt. Bruce finally returned from the lab,

"Danbury was correct, the cure is working. We can move her now," he said, then he saw their faces, "What is it?" No one spoke for a moment,

"—her back—," Stephanie said, she sounded close to tears and Tim moved to put an arm around her…but it was more for him, he felt that if he didn't hold onto her he'd fall over from the buckling guilt that he felt,

"There were signs of torture Master Bruce," Alfred said, his eyes very grave, "We must tread carefully with her. Who knows what she's been through,"

"Where's Jason and Dick?" Bruce asked, his face grim and dark,

"They saw the wounds and lost it," Tim said, "Jason's probably breaking things…and his hands. Dick's probably up on the roof beating himself up. Barbara went to talk to him,"

"Let's move her and then get some sleep. We'll watch over her in rotations so that she's not alone when she wakes up." Tim nodded and moved to help him move her to her room.

* * *

A/N: Just to explain Dick's rooftop escape: he already felt guilty about Cobb kidnapping her and he had no idea that she'd been tortured by their own _great grandfather_. When he saw the scars he realized and felt even more guilt because he's Dick and feels guilty about things that aren't really his fault. Also, he's a trapeze artist, heights are his refuge which is why he went up into the manor. He need to get away from being underground and somewhere high and peaceful. I wasn't trying to imply anything and Barbara was just worried for him because she's Barbara and worries about people...especially him.

Thanks for reading!

Next chapter tomorrow! REVIEW!


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 35

Fire was coursing through her veins. _Agony_ was coursing through her veins and she couldn't even scream. She couldn't let anything out because of stupid sedatives that mad her mind a groggy mess. _Sure_ it wasn't enough to _stop_ the pain, but it was enough to keep her still and from screaming and to keep her asleep through the pain. She could feel her breath hitching because of the pain and sometimes, usually when the sedative was about to wear off she could twitch her fingers a little and wiggle her toes, but most of the time Tori was still as stone and she fucking hated it.

The nice side to being a forced sleeping beauty, though she was sure she was no beauty, was that everyone sat by her bed with her. It was good to know they were there, always by her side making sure she was alright. She had missed that feeling of safety and peace. Tori had missed being with a true family, as mix n'matched as it was. Everyone took turns sitting in a chair by her bed. They had probably made a schedule and everything or something.

Tim would sit by her bed and read to her, she could hear him, but couldn't comment and tell him to stop trying to give different voices to each of the characters because it was annoying and he was awful at it. Stephanie would bring her computer, apologize for bringing it and proceed to watch Netflix on it. Tori wasn't mad, she'd missed TV. Damian complained about the whole sitting next to her thing for the whole block of time he was given. But Tori didn't miss the way he'd lightly place his two fingers on her wrist as to check her pulse towards the end of his time. They were gone the moment they touched, but Tori didn't miss the gesture. Dick would sit silently by her side. He would occasionally fix the sheets or check the IV drip they gave her so she would get some nutrients while in her drugged out sleep. Tori didn't have to guess why he was so silent, he blamed himself for what had happened even though he couldn't have known…but she couldn't tell him that, not until the serum was destroyed by the cure and both were out of her system. Barbara would come and talk about life. How her father was, and how talking passed the time and that she believed that, while Tori was asleep, she could hear everything they did.

Even Bruce would sit next to her, she could tell it was him by his footfalls as he marched into the room. He was silent, but Tori could almost always tell something was on his mind, he was thinking all through his sitting time and Tori couldn't figure out what it was. One time he got a visitor, based on the order of everyone, it was the second night since they brought her home. Bruce suddenly leapt to his feet,

" _Leave_ ," he growled menacingly,

"Be at peace," a familiar voice said, it was Danbury, "I have come alone. To check on Tori,"

"Forgive me if I'm a little wary of letting your kind in my home after what you've done to her," Bruce spat. Tori was—of course—silently shocked, she didn't know he cared about her that much. Sure…he took her in and tried to let her be Oracle…but they fought a lot. She didn't think he'd be so furious about the whole Talon thing or what they did to her,

"I did nothing to her, I trained her," Danbury said. There was no anger in his tone, just a little hint of anger towards Bruce, "something you did not do." Bruce said nothing, then,

"Tori will be fine…right?" he asked,

"Yes. In another day or so, both the cure and the serum will be out of her system. She will wake up, there will be no side affects…though she should eat. Regeneration only occurs with sustenance,"

"Is that all you came here to tell me?"

"No, I am also here to give you these," Danbury said, "they are extra doses of the cure for when she runs into other Talons…and she will most likely run into them. The Court does not take desertion well, and William is stubborn with his grudges. These will keep her safe…well safer,"

"Is that all?" Bruce said,

"One more thing," there was a sound of metal clanking, "She will need these back. Tori worked hard on these blades, it would be a waste for the Court to use them against her,"

"Won't they be suspicious if they disappear?" Bruce asked, surprisingly not showing a hint of disapproval towards her swords,

"No, swords always look the same and I can make copies if any do get suspicious," Danbury said, "Keep her aware Bruce," he said before leaving.

Later at night was Jason's time. He was always what Tori waited for during the day. She missed him, she missed talking to him. It was too bad she was completely zonked out, otherwise she would be hugging him so tight he'd have trouble breathing. Jason would sit there and hold her hand, lightly tracing the black mutated veins on her hands and wrists. They were small and not that noticeable, but he traced them nonetheless. Through the agonizing pain of the serum, she could feel his light touch and it sent goosebumps on her skin. Just the knowledge that he was right there next to her sent the ache of longing through her heart.

One particularly painful night, when the pain was so great she could actually cry out, Jason crawled up on the bed next to her and pulled her close to him. Her head rested on his chest, she could feel the heat of his skin through his shirt and hear the beat of his heart. It lulled her back to sleep.

Her dreams were always dark and haunting. Always of the maze, or dying or of Cobb and his whip. The double vision dream had vanished completely, as if her psyche acknowledged that she wasn't completely dark or light anymore. The wolf dream though, changed.

 _The black and white wolves merged into one large dark grey wolf with huge teeth and large yellow eyes. The steak in her hand morphed into a sword and at the sight of the blade, the wolf bore its teeth together menacingly. It sat back on his hunches, ready to pounce,_

 _"Choose," an invisible voice called,_

 _"Choose what?" Tori snapped, looking around. The wolf leapt._  
 _The dream ended._

Her sleep continued.

* * *

It was early morning, the sun was flashing on her eyes as it peaked through clouds, when something changed. She no longer felt pain as great as before, it was finally ending. Tori had no idea how long it had been since the Bats attacked the compound, but that didn't matter. she would finally be free from the endless sleep and the pain…the never ending pain. A hour or two later, the sedative wore off, Tori experimentally wiggled her toes. Then scrunched her nose before snapping her eyes open,

"Tori?" Dick's voice asked, surprise laced in the tone. He blinked down at her from the poofy comfy chair that they had moved into her room. Tori blinked at him before gingerly sitting up. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, "How do you feel?" Dick asked finally. Tori bit her lip before tears filled her eyes and she launched herself into his startled arms. Tori sobbed, and she didn't know why she was sobbing. She clutched at Dick, who held her tightly and ran a hand through her hair. Tears just flowed and she couldn't stop them. Tori cried for what had happened to her, the torture, her death, her resurrection, her training, her trip through the maze and her assignments that created a less than human persona of herself. She cried because she was ashamed of what she had done…Tori didn't know how much everyone knew and she dreaded what they thought of her.

Eventually the tears let up and all that was left was dry heaving sobs. That was when Tori pulled back and wiped her face and silence reigned between them again. Tori sniffled, embarrassed for crying, but also relieved to let everything out. Dick bit his lip before taking a deep breath,

"Tori, I'm so so—," he started,

"Dick. It was not your fault. Not your fault at all,"

"It is my fault. I told you about our relation out in the open air of the city where anyone could hear. William heard and figured out we were related. I thought he was going to use you to convince me to become his heir, I never thought he'd make you a Talon instead…I should have known better, I should have—,"

"Dick. It truly was not your fault…I—I _chose_ to become a Talon," she said, hating how it sounded to say and the shocked look on his face, "They…they threatened my little brother. If I didn't give in they were going to kill me and kidnap Cameron instead. I chose to become a Talon to save him. You were not the reason they took me. He would have taken me regardless of what you told me or what they heard. Cobb knew I was related to him already. This was about my side of the family. I do not blame you at all for this and neither should you,"

"I still feel awful for what happened…but I'm just happy you're home,"

"Me too," Tori said, giving her cousin a hug before jerking back as her stomach let out an unusually loud groan, "Could you get some food for me? I'm starving," Dick laughed and ran out of the room, yelling for Alfred. Tori flopped back into the pillows as soon as he left, reveling in the feeling of being in her bed in her home, with no lock on the door or bars on the windows. Tori was home and that was all that mattered to her.

* * *

A/N: Yay, she's back home. Finally. This isn't the end, there are a lot more chapters about the aftermath of everything. We still have more to this story!

Next chapter on Wednesday! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 36

Tori stood on the roof of the manor again, gazing at the stars. It was March, the air was still chilly and she could feel her fingers and toes start to stiffen but she still stayed in her spot. Bruce had been trying to convince her to see Dinah again, but Tori didn't think she was ready and she was tired of him pushing for her to go. Tim and Stephanie were on a date, their first real date since the Joker attacked everyone. He was dead apparently. When they told her, Tori just shrugged, "One less crazy to worry about," Tim and Steph agreed, as did Dick…Barbara especially agreed. Tori had yet to see Jason again since the time he lay next to her during her forced sleep. She didn't know if she should be worried about that or not…but she tried not to dwell on it. If Jason needed space for whatever reasons, then she would give him that.

Tim and Stephanie were helping Tori catch up on all the schoolwork she had missed. To the public of Gotham, Tori had been kidnapped for the past three months, not held prisoner and trained to kill for that time. In order to graduate she needed to make up all the tests, classwork, labs, projects and quizzes. Tori was determined to graduate despite what had happened. She had been hard at work since four days ago, when she had woken up three days from when she'd been stabbed. Tori was making progress, but it was hard. That was where Tim and Steph came in.

It was amazing how fast everything moved back to the mundane life she'd been living before the Court captured her. She went to school—she had to wear finger-less gloves all the time to hide her mutated veins—, she came home and did her homework but everything felt different. It was strange to be around people as if nothing had happened, yet at the same time it distracted her from what did happen.

Even with that distraction of school she felt like she was drowning, falling with nothing to catch her…like she was still over that edge and in the abyss of darkness. Dick was the one who helped pull her out of that funk. He brought her to the cave and taught her how to fly on the trapeze. While with the Talons she learned acrobatics and gymnastics—on a much more extreme level than before—they did not use the trapeze and the lessons were not just for the enjoyment of soaring through the air, "You may feel like you're falling. But I'll _always_ be here to catch you," he had said. It was exhilarating and brought a real and happy smile to her face, it brought her spirits up. The trapeze down in the cave became her refuge. She could go alone—with a spotter—or with Dick. But that was the only reason she ever went in the cave.

She did not go in the cave to monitor everyone's movements and she did not beg to go out at night with the others. Everything was as it had been, and Tori did feel the need to make a difference like the others—but she was scared. Tori worried that if she went out, if she tried to work with them like she'd always wanted to do, she'd turn back into the mindless killer she'd been before. Bruce noticed the change, but didn't comment…until that night. As she stood facing the stars, she heard his footsteps clomping up the stairs,

"Yes Bruce?" she asked, before he could speak,

"How did you know it was me?"

"I heard you coming…you have a particular footfall. I was trained to hear and detect any kind of sound I may hear," she said, "What is it?"

"Your training is it. We need to talk," he said, "In the cave," Tori didn't say anything but followed him. They descended into the cave and Tori found it mercifully empty,

"It's been a while since I've been in here for anything other than trapeze…" Tori said, looking around the cave. She froze when she saw her Talon uniform in a glass case, next to Jason's Robin uniform. The latter covered with a sheet,

"He asked to have it covered while he looked for you with us. It…unsettled him. Brought up bad memories," Bruce said as he went over to the computer, "What is this about my training?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking away from the glass case, not voicing how it made her feel,

"You were trained by assassins," Bruce said, typing on the keyboard. Tori watched the screen as he did so,

"Yes. As were Damian and Jason," Tori said,

"You haven't asked to go out with us despite being trained. Something you've wanted since last year," Bruce said,

"Things change," Tori said, teeth set,

"Yes. They do," Bruce said, jabbing a button. Photos of bodies, bloody dead bodies, littered the screen. Six from Gotham, the others from London, all people Tori had killed while being with the Court. Tori's arms fell to her sides,

"Is this why you haven't asked, haven't offered me a chance to go out with you guys?" Tori asked, "Is the fact that I did _that_ to survive going to change your belief that I am still me?"

"I just want to know, that if given the opportunity to help Gotham alongside me and the others, would you do this again?" Tori was silent for a moment,

"I don't want to be that person again Bruce. I never wanted to kill those people…but you have to understand, for four days they tortured me and on the fifth they changed me into a Talon. From the sixth day on I was trained to kill and hurt and destroy and spy…and that's all I trained for. That's the only training I know. I don't want to kill people. I don't want to be that person…that dark evil person that lingers down in my bones, but I cannot guarantee that won't happen again because that is the only training I have ever known. I can't take that risk…I don't want to kill another person because I'm afraid I won't stop…that I'll always be the Talon William wanted," Tori's voice wavered slightly,

"I can teach you not to kill Tori. I taught Damian…and you are not alone. Many had to learn restraint before going out in our City, myself included. There are also the others to help you. You have the potential to do great things, and now that you are trained, we could teach you _our_ way of doing things. I know I left you out before, but I can't do that this time…not just because you are potentially dangerous…but because you shouldn't fear yourself. You shouldn't fear the strong, independent and skilled young woman you've become. You should embrace your strengths _and_ weaknesses…but only if and when you learn restraint and control," Tori nodded, her eyes watered,

"Thank you," she said. Then, "Can…I just look at my old suit for a moment. I—I need to reflect on everything…I need to find closure from what happened and accept that I cannot change the past," Bruce nodded,

"We are all here for you," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze before moving toward the exit. Tori walked over to the glass cases, slowly, watching Bruce leave the cave. Once he was out of sight she turned around and headed for the computer.

Bruce may have tried to hide it, but her new eyes saw it anyway. A folder…a new one from the last time she'd been on the cave computers. The folder was labeled _'M Surveillance,'_ there was only M name Bruce would be keeping tabs on. One person Tori wanted dead more than anything. The man that changed her life entirely and brought the attention of the Court to her and her family: _Mac._ Bruce had been keeping an eye on Mac, the man who he promised he'd find and bring to justice.

He had lied and said that he didn't know where he was, but in fact Mac had been in Gotham the entire time. William Cobb had told her the _truth_. That is why he hadn't been in London when she attacked. Tori bet the abductee bionic super soldiers were with the scientist, which meant that Tori had to act now. Bruce had lied to her, Bruce kept information from her and worst of all, he had no intention of telling her about it. Undeniable fury bloomed and Tori embraced it, one last time she would hunt her prey and if this last hunt turned her into a monster then so be it. Whirling to the glass cases she snagged a mask and put it on before opening the one case with her suit in it.

A Talon was a part of who she was.

Talon's left no loose ends.

* * *

A/N: Nice Bruce, let her go patrol at night AFTER she's been trained by evil assassin killers. Not only that but don't tell her things, that'll really make her trust you. *Eye roll*

Well...you'll have to wait till Friday to see what happens...unless...I perhaps...get a few more reviews. Thursday and Friday are good days to have chapters to read. Plus, it will get you the third installment faster...which I _have_ started by the way. So in other words: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: First off, I realized pretty late that I posted chapter 36 instead of chapter 37...super sorry about that! Here's the right chapter, I did say if I got a review that I'd post a chapter on Thursday. It's late in the day, but here it is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 37

Tori flew across the rooftops of Gotham. Her thermo-aerodynamic cape billowing out behind her gracefully. The hood was raised though she did not wear the Talon head covering, she felt that the piece was too close to her mindless killer self. This time around, she had a clear head and she knew that this target was a horrible mad man who needed to be stopped. He'd done horrible things to herself and others, he deserved to die…besides, it was what she was trained to do.

The night sky grew stormy as she finally landed on one of the many abandoned buildings in Gotham's East End. It was fairly large with boarded up windows on every floor. Tori kicked through one window and landed in a crouch. Glancing around she found herself in a hallway, it was pitch black but she could see clearly as if it was day. Standing up straight she closed her eyes and listened. Faintly she could hear the sound of talking and machines beeping. Taking a deep breath she started forward, walking silently on the fragile wooden floor and down the steps, lower and lower until she reached the basement.

The rest of the building looked abandoned, empty, but the basement's door was locked. Pulling out a lock pick she started working on the door. In under a minute, she was in. Turning the knob slowly it slid open without a creak. Ducking inside she darted behind a pile of crates stacked by the wall. The basement was the size of the whole floor plan of the building, with a tunnel like doorway that led into the abandoned building next to the one Tori was in. There were computers, CyberDesks and devices all over the place. The eerie tubes that Tori was held captive in were placed in the center of the room and inside were three kids. All tired, and haggard with bags under their eyes. Judging by their faces and almost blank stares, they'd just had their memories wiped again. At one of the CyberDesks, with his back to the crates, was Mac. He was on the phone, talking to someone. Tori glared in his direction and slowly pulled her short sword out of its leather sheath. She then started to silently move across the room to where Mac was fiddling with a remote-like device,

"—yes, they'll be ready for more specialized training by tomorrow," Mac was saying as he tapped away at his device, "They'll be obedient. I promise. I have a Triton App. It controls all the chips. They'll fight for you and I and they'll change the world," Mac was smiling, the sicko was smiling. Tori made her way to where he stood quicker, sword raised, but Mac caught her reflection on one of the screens in front of him and whirled out of the way just as Tori swiped down with her sword,

"No! I thought I had more time!" he moaned, seeing her glaring at him her sword raised,

"Too bad Mac, you let those kids go right now! Or I _will_ kill you," Tori growled, pointing the tip of the blade an inch from his chest,

"It won't matter if I let them go or not, I can still take control of them," Mac said, eyeing the tip of the short sword, which made him go cross-eyed,

"Do it, or I'll run you through," Mac laughed,

"It's too late for them,"

"How many are there?"

"Too many, and I'll control them all,"

"Not if I can help it, set them free. _NOW!_ " Tori yelled,

"Once a Talon, always a Talon. There's no fighting it and you are perfect proof of that," Mac snipped, Tori growled before swiping at Mac again. He barely dodged and with a curse ran out of the lab. Tori glanced briefly at all of the buttons before pressing the one that clearly released the prisoners in the tubes,

"Where am I?" One kid asked, and Tori's heart went out for him,

"You're in a bad, bad place and there are others who are here. They need to get out okay. They need your help. I'm trusting you to find everyone and get them out do you understand?" Tori said, looking at each kid in turn before looking pointedly at the older of the three, "Keep each other safe and if Mac tries to find you get out okay?"

"Are you like Batman?" the youngest asked, Tori winced slightly before shaking her head stiffly,

"I'm no Batman," she said before turning and sprinting after Mac. He wouldn't get far, the only way out is the roof.

Tori caught up to Mac just as he was about to leap to the next building over. Tori instinctively threw a dagger at him, it struck his leg and he fell to the ground a foot away from the edge. Tori slowly walked over to him as he tried to pull the dagger out. When she reached him, Mac pulled out a gun with a fearful expression on his face. He pulled the trigger repeatedly and three bullets struck Tori in the shoulder, chest and stomach. She didn't even flinch. Not even as the bullets pushed their way out of her body and the wounds closed over,

"They really did turn you didn't they. You're a monster!" Mac gasped. Tori glared at him, her eyes watering despite herself as she lifted him up by the neck,

"I'm not the monster Mac, you are. You abducted teens and children for experimentation, you erased their memories and used them like pawns for your army. Or is it not really your army. You're working with someone…someone else funded your 'project' when the Court refused to give anymore money since you betrayed them and never paid them back,"

"So clever. I wish you were still a member in my army," Mac stated, a smile on his face. Tori punched him in the face and his nose started bleeding, completely broken,

"Rescue all you can. As long as they need that chip to live, I will be able to find them, I will be able to control them," Mac said, holding up the now complete device he was working on, "The Triton App is programmed in their chips and this is now complete…they will fight for me…they will dismember you for harming me. My first success destroyed by her very own kind," Mac laughed and moved to push the button, but Tori grabbed his finger and snapped it like a twig. Mac gave a cry of pain,

"You can't run from this. It will happen no matter where you put me," Mac said, moving to push the button again. Tori grabbed his wrist and broke it. She then grabbed the hand that held the device and broke that as well. She then snatched the device from him and let him drop to the rooftop in a heap,

"As you said Mac, once a Talon always a Talon. I'm not going to put you anywhere," she said simply, crushing the device in her gloved hand,

"I'm going to kill you,"

* * *

Mac looked up at her in horror as she pulled out her short sword. Tori kicked at Mac's non-stabbed leg, breaking it and she only stared as he moaned in pain on the floor,

"You abused me and everyone in those labs downstairs. You're abusing the people in general with you secret affiliation with BioTech in London…and yes, that was me who killed Cassidy King and all the scientists and engineers that worked there. Everything you've done up to this point has only brought fear and anger to those abducted by you and those who try to abide the law and bring you to justice. Betraying the Court was probably the most damning thing you have ever done, kidnapping these innocent kids is probably the most condemnatory and using me as a method to improve your work was probably the most heinous thing ever. Nothing you say will save you," Tori raised her sword and Mac could only watch in complete terror, he could not move due to his broken arms, fingers, leg and stabbed leg. Tori moved to bring the blade home only to feel her elbow break as something smacked into it. the short sword sailed through the air and clattered to a stop by the edge of the roof. Whirling around, elbow popping back into place, she saw Batman standing on the other side.

For a second they just stared at each other. Neither moving or speaking, it wasn't until Mac started laughing and Tori pulled out her dagger in anger to carve his rotten heart out that they both moved. Bruce tossed another batarang knocking the dagger out of her hand causing Tori to curse and whirl around to face Bruce,

"Stop it!" she yelled, " _Stop it!_ I have to do this! I need to do this! This man is insane! This man kidnapped me for a whole year! He experimented on me and abused me! He did this to others! HE DOESN'T _DESERVE_ TO LIVE!" Mac started to laugh again from his crumpled position on the floor,

"He won't let you kill me. No matter how much he cares for you," he said, "It's not in his nature…though it is in yours isn't it? Kill or be killed?" he laughed again, "You would have done well in my army!" Tori saw red as she lunged at the asshole. She punched and smacked, scratched and eventually wrapped her hands around his neck, squeezing mercilessly. Tori didn't even realize the tears had started to flow until the salty droplets ran down into her mouth. Mac was scrabbling at her hands, still locked tightly around his throat. He was turning purple when hands roped themselves around her waist and pulled her off of the man. Tori yelled kicked and thrashed, desperate to launch herself on him and kill him for all that he's done. She could hear Bruce talking to her, trying to calm her down with his lies. Tori was done listening, she wanted Mac dead…but one thing jarred her, when what Bruce said finally registered through her blood-red anger,

"Look at him. _Look_ at what you've become. _Look_ at what you _did_ to him!" Tori stopped fighting Bruce and looked at the prone figure of Mac. The swollen, puffy face, purple hand-print bruises ringed his neck, his bloody leg and broken appendages. Batman finally let her go and she fell to her knees, looking at the mess of a man she created…,

"I—I…I—," Tori didn't know what to say, "You _lied!_ " she finally burst out,

"I withheld information. I wanted to see what you would do when the self-destroying information you desired was right in front of you,"

"So this was just some _test?_ Withholding information is the _same thing._ " Tori snapped, "I know I'm a Talon…but I am still _Tori_. You could have told me, you could have actually _trusted_ me!"

"If I had told you that I knew where Mac was the whole time, we would still be exactly where we are now. You were not ready to face him,"

"What, would I just face him in court? Will I see him sentenced to jail only to break out again. He would just do exactly this over and over again because he thinks he is right. He doesn't see or understand the pain and suffering he is laying on people. All he sees is his dream and what he thinks is the right way to achieve it. Men like that never change. Men like that shouldn't live," Tori said, tears as well as rain splashed on her face. Mac wasn't conscious anymore, and that was okay for Tori,

"You are better than this Tori. You—,"

"—You don't _know_ that!" Tori screamed, leaning on her knees and throwing her arms out to the sides, "I have suffered a thousand hells. I've gotten my _mother_ killed! An innocent woman and my step-father both killed! My siblings couldn't even see me because of that man. I couldn't _see_ them! I had to stay here and learn to control powers that I would only ever use for evil because you never wanted me out in this city!

"I have learned the darkest of ways and killed without any emotion because that is all I knew! That is what ended my suffering and I will always be that killer! There is nothing left in me that can be changed. I'm a lost cause Bruce…I'm lost and can never be found. I feel it right here," she said, jabbing a finger at her heart, "I'm just a rotten husk…I'm spoiled because of the blood on my hands that I cannot get rid of and hide! I'll forever be a murderer," Tori put her head in her hands and sobbed. She never wanted this. Never wanted any of this. Tori was a monster…she'd told Bruce she never wanted to kill another person and went right out to do just that. She's a monster and there was nothing anyone can do to change that. Bruce stood in front of her before kneeling down beside her and placing a hand on her quaking shoulder,

"I know this may not be the time for philosophical quotes, but this is a truth I have seen over and over again with myself and the boys. 'Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor.' You have been sculpted by others and by yourself. Yes, you _have_ suffered a thousand hells. You have carried iron weights on your shoulders since the day they first found you in New York. You have carried burdens and separated yourself from those you held most dear. You have carried a crucible on your back even as you faced your own death…and yes, you have lost your way and yes you have changed—but not all changes are bad, you can turn that change into something powerful. A stand against others who share your title of 'Talon'. Yes you have killed and that is all you know, but you can change _again_.

"It will be hard, it will be _so_ hard to turn from that killer instinct. But I know you can do it because you have turned from so many designed fates for you before. Don't you dare give up on yourself because I haven't given up on you yet." Tori blinked up at Bruce, trying to clear her bleary eyes—the mask was long gone—before thinking back to what Danbury told her on her first day of training. _Take some of this knowledge you learn here back with you and put it to_ use _._ Maybe Danbury and Batman were right…maybe she _can_ remake herself again and use her skills to save, not kill. She couldn't give up…not when she had been just on the verge of finding herself again. Tori looked over at Mac,

"Do we call the cops?" she asked finally, her voice sounded thick from crying,

"Atta girl," Bruce said, helping her to her feet. Suddenly Tori remembered something,

"Wait! The kids!" Tori cried, racing down the stairs to the labs. As she sprinted through the door her heart plummeted…they were all gone. Even as she sprinted through the labs, searching for them she knew they had vanished without a trace,

"Did you come down here at all?" Tori asked Bruce,

"I checked in here briefly…I checked some of the machines and devices. I didn't see anyone," Batman said,

"They were freeing the others. I told them to run if anyone came in search of them…I bet they took my advice and left—Oh I'm so _stupid_ —they have no memories! And powers…and now they're out in this city…ugh or _world_ …with no where to go with powers they have no control over," Tori moaned,

"Mac can help us find them," Bruce said,

"I don't think he will help anyone," Tori said, moving to a wall pinned full of papers, "But I will. I will find every child on this list and bring them to STAR Labs so they can figure out how to remove the chip or at least the powers and then eventually bring them home to their families. That will be my mission…my crusade and my penance for what I have done," Tori said, "I won't be that killer again—I hope—I'll make up for what I did by saving these people,"

"I won't stop you, but I will help you…we all will," Bruce said, "Now let's get the cops and let them deal with Mac. Tori Crowne can testify in court against him and he will be sentenced to life for what he did to you and the others. But more importantly at the present moment. We need to get to work remaking you into a hero." Bruce said,

"Hero vigilante," Tori corrected, a smile forming before she hugged a startled Bruce.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter on Friday. SOOO Close to the end guys. Only like three more chapters and then we're onto the next part of Tori's story - hehe, that rhymed. REVIEW! Give me your inner most thoughts on my skillful writing so that I can reply...cuz I would reply if you did that. REVIEW!


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Here's the next chapter, the second to last chapter will be on Sunday and the final on Monday. After that the next part of Tori's story will begin on the Monday after the Monday the last chapter is posted on.

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

PS - these last few chapters are just winding down from all the action and angst from before. So they may seem a little mundane or boring even...just a heads up for action lovers.

* * *

Chapter: 38

Tori sat on her bed, sharpening her swords. It was her first time in a while not having to finish a project, assignment or test for school. She had just handed in the last of the required assignments a few days ago, all she needed was a passing grade and she could graduate with the others. She was surprised Bruce actually let her keep the swords after what had happened all those nights ago. They came back and no one asked questions. It was written all over Tori's face what had happened and they understood…or at least partially understood why she had done what she'd done. It had been around three more months since that night and everything was still strange to her. Not just school or all the extra work she had to do.

Tori promised herself she would never go back on her word like that, for anything. She would never say she'd do one thing and then do the exact opposite especially when it came to her motives for fighting or anything regarding their nightlife. Tori was deeply ashamed at what she had done, even if it was Mac—who was now in police custody—, he was a monster so he should suffer for what he did in prison. Besides, she had more important things to do than kill Mac: she had to find those missing kids and return them to normal, if she can, and bring them home.

Tori let out a sigh before putting down her dagger. How was she supposed to locate all those kids? Sure they had evidence from the Gotham lab, but most of the computers had been wiped again. Mac had put a fail-safe in the remote control should it be destroyed. It sent out a signal to all the computers in the labs to destroy any evidence. Tori and Tim as well as Bruce were going to try and recover the information and hopefully start to find the kids.

Before the searching started, Bruce would have to teach Tori not to kill. She let out another sigh and reached for the Spadone, the last sword in need of sharpening. As she started the familiar motion she noticed something. The blade was different than the one she had made. It had more worn patches on the metal from constant use, Tori had only used her's for two months. Upon closer inspection, she realized this was Danbury's sword. The old battered, though still strong and sturdy, sword he had shown her the night she realized she did not want to kill for the Court anymore. Tori rubbed her thumb over one of the mended spots, the solder molded as one with the old metal, a small smile on her face. She knew he'd given it to her so she would always remember how strong mended places can be,

"Thanks Dan," she whispered. Carefully she started sharpening it again until her new cell phone started trilling. Sighing in annoyance she picked it up,

"Yeah?" she asked into the phone,

"Where the hell have you been?" a voice snapped, Tori blinked trying to figure out who it was before realizing it was Liam. She felt a lump form in her throat,

"Liam?" she asked,

"Yeah, it's me, your brother?!" he said into the phone, obviously annoyed, "Where the hell have you been for almost six months. We've been worried sick thinking BioTech got you!"

"It's not like they'll be a problem anymore though," another voice said—Ali—, "They were all murdered except for this one scientist and his kid," Tori felt her heart race at the remembrance of that night and the fact that it was her fault. Tori swallowed as Liam snapped at Ali to shut up,

"You owe us an explanation," he said,

"Yeah!" Ali chirped. How was she going to explain what happened to her siblings,

"I…I—um…I don't know how to—um—," Tori was saved from explaining by Stephanie who burst into her room with a frown on her face,

"Why the hell are you just sitting on your bed!?" she yelled. Tori blinked at her,

"Liam, Ali—I've gotta go," with that she hung up, "Thanks so much Steph, perfect timing. I was just getting interrogated by my siblings and—what are you doing?" Tori asked as Stephanie started taking things out of a very large bag she was toting with her. She also hung up paper covered clothing on her bed posts,

"Tonight is prom Tori. _PROM!"_ Stephanie said, "It's in fact in an hour and you're just sitting on your bed,"

"Well…I'm not sure I'm really up to it," Tori said, absentmindedly twirling her dagger in her hand,

"Put the knife down Tori, you are going," Steph said, "It'll be good for you. You know, get you used to being around normal people again,"

"I've been around normal people," Tori said defensively,

"We're not normal Tori, we don't count,"

"It's not my fault…everything's just…weird," she said. Tori couldn't describe the feeling she associated with being back in society…high society at that,

"I know. It's weird. It always is. Every time a villain gets a good hit in and you're out for a day or two and you just show up at school again and everyone is just as they were but you're different because you were _there_ when that psycho escaped or kidnapped that kid or robbed that bank or tried to blow up the city but they don't know that. You just need to keep going out there and talking with people. Life will start to feel the same again," Steph said,

"Fine…I guess you're right. You guys are experts at this," Tori said, "But there's just one problem…I don't have a dress," Stephanie threw her a mischievous smile,

"I took the liberty of finding you one since I figured you wouldn't be looking,"

"Should I be worried?" Tori asked,

"Oh no. Trust me. I know you Victoria. This is your dress," Steph said, pulling the covering off of one of the two things hung up. Tori jumped off her bed and moved to where Stephanie stood bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. Tori looked at the dress before crossing her arms and grudgingly nodding,

"Oh that is so my dress," It was dark but pale blue, taffeta dress. Embedded in the long skirt there were blue flowers. It was strapless and dipped low in the back. It was beautiful,

"Yes! I knew it!" her friend said jumping up and down,

"There's just one problem," Tori said, frowning,

"What?" Steph asked pouting,

"It's backless," Tori said, "I-I don't…m-my back…" Tori hated that she stammered, but Stephanie's eyes widened in realization,

"Oh! Hold on, I have a solution for that," she disappeared into her giant bag and pulled out a matching blue shawl, "There, this will cover your shoulders and back. Now to your bathroom, we are losing time to get you all glammed up…me as well!" Rolling her eyes, Tori sighed and followed her friend.

* * *

Tori fidgeted nervously with her pale dark grey finger-less gloves near the doorway. People couldn't see the black swirls on her hands, so she wore gloves…all the time now. Tim and Stephanie were at the mercy of Alfred, who was taking a billion photos of them. She was a third wheel, she had no date—or at least her intended date was a no show. Alfred got Tori in one photo of the three of them…and he tried to get others, but she'd refused after the first. Tori wasn't so much angry as she was worried…where the hell was Jason? She bit her lip but quickly stopped once Bruce walked over to her,

"What are you worrying about?" he asked,

"Nothing," Tori said, "Well, nothing too important,"

"Have fun, enjoy the dance,"

"I'll try. I mean if someone jumps on my feet I'm going to step on his foot hard because that just really ruins the evening…although I guess it wouldn't really matter now that I wouldn't feel it," Tori said, putting a hand to her chin. Bruce chuckled as Stephanie and Tim passed him to get to the limo,

"Really though Tori. Enjoy yourself. Don't worry about anything, just have fun,"

"You're the boss," Tori said with a mock salute as she turned to follow them out.

They arrived late, Stephanie and Tori had taken way more than an hour to get ready…and once they started for the wide open doors, Tori felt a moment of nervousness. This was one of the biggest nights of senior year…but they were also out in the open where there could be Talons…specifically very, very, very angry great grandfather ones. Maybe she shouldn't be here…if anyone were to attack she'd be totally defenseless and she did not want to be serum-ed so soon after the last time, none of them even had the cure with them—

"Tori, relax," Tim said from where he stood on her left. His arm was hooked through Stephanie's, who was smiling brightly and looking around at the luxurious hotel their prom was being held at. Being rich spoiled brats had its funding perks,

"That's easy for you to say. I think I have social anxiety,"

"No, you have PTSD…but I guess that sort of goes under the same category," Tori glared at him,

"I've never been diagnosed,"

"Because you've never went to talk to Dinah," Tim said, "And before you get mad at me…just remember this is a party. There are security guards everyone and yes they can do nothing against a Talon, but they aren't going to attack because we took out a large portion of their members. They'll need to regroup and find a new location before they can do anything. And then they'll need to move their machines, tombs and everything else to the new location and then finally reformulate ranks. It's been almost three months and no movement by them either. So have fun," Tori closed her mouth and just nodded,

"Oh hey Tori," a new voice said. Turning Tori faced her friend Jenna on the arm of a boy named Jeffery. She wore a beautiful pale rose colored dress that complimented her hair perfectly, "Glad you decided to come!"

"Well…I was coerced by a best friend and a perfect dress," Tori said, beaming at her friend,

"I was worried you wouldn't come," Jenna said, "Especially after the last six months have been a blur of activity for you. You didn't even get to do Track or Gymnastics,"

"Yeah…I had a lot of catching up to do,"

"Will you be able to graduate tomorrow?"

"They'll let us know before it's time tomorrow," Tori said, "I cut it close to the deadline, but I wanted to make sure everything was perfect before turning it in,"

"Same as always," Jenna said with a laugh, "We're going to head inside,"

"Yeah, we should too—," Tori started to say before realizing Tim and Stephanie had already left. Sighing Tori started inside by herself.

To make it through to the ballroom, you had to go through the photography station…which she was dreading because she was one of the only ones without a date. Everyone around her chatted happily with their prom attendee while she waited in utter humiliation to get through with the single photo. To make matters worse Zoe and her prom date arrived just after she got in line,

"Hey Tor," Zoe said, a sneer on her face, "What's wrong…no date?"

"Well. At least I didn't bribe mine," Tori said, moving forward as the next couple stepped up for their photo,

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoe snapped, narrowing her eyes at Tori,

"I'm just saying…I didn't see a promposal video on FaceBook or anything of the sort that's all,"

"Next please!" the photographer called, saving Tori from facing Zoe's wrath. Tori marched over to the backdrop area and stood awkwardly in the center,

"No Mr. McDreamy?" the guy behind the camera asked. He didn't ask it rudely, just genuinely wondering if he had to wait for anyone,

"No, it's just me," Tori said sullenly. The guy nodded and leaned over the tripod. Tori smiled her best but nearly lost it when hands found their way around her waist. The camera flashed and Tori scrambled away from the person with a shriek. She whirled around to yell only to stop and stare in relief,

"Jason?" Tori asked stunned,

"Surprise?" Jason said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Tori didn't care, she was just glad he was there. She threw her arms around him and didn't even care that the camera guy took another photo of them as they did so, "Shall we get this stupid dance over with?" Jason asked, holding out his arm,

"We shall," Tori said, taking it and walking with Jason to the ballroom. She only glanced back to stick her tongue out at Zoe who stared on in fury.

* * *

They arrived to the dance floor just as the song changed to a slow one. Smiling Tori turned to face Jason who was pulling at his tie,

"I remember you're not big on dancing, but just for the sake of normalcy and because I actually like to dance, can we dance?" Jason rolled his eyes,

"I didn't dress up in a tux to just stand around awkwardly by the refreshment table," he said before taking his hand and pulling her to the dance floor. Tim and Stephanie were dancing a little ways over. Steph threw Tori a wide smile and waggled her eyebrows at her as they slowly spun around. Tim threw Jason a glare as he came to face them. Tori rolled her eyes at her brother before facing Jason again,

"Something tells me us dating became very clear while I was missing," she said as he put his hand at her waist and took her other hand in his,

"Turns out everyone but Tim already knew,"

"Oh _really_?" Tori said,

"Yeah. I guess I wasn't that nonchalant about my feelings for you when you 'died'," he replied,

"I see," Tori said, as they spun slowly to the music, "Now, why did you put a tux on and scare me instead of showing up at the Manor if everyone knew. And on top of that, where have you been for the past three months?!" Jason sighed before dancing them off to a darker corner of the ballroom. Away from prying eyes and ears,

"It's not what you think," Jason said,

"You don't know what I think," Tori said,

"Calm down Toria. I stayed away because Bruce wanted me to,"

"You actually expect me to believe that?" Tori said skeptically, "You never listen to Bruce,"

"It's the truth. He didn't think it wise for me to be…near you after what had happened,"

"And why's that?" Tori growled, narrowing her eyes,

"Because I've been trained to kill. And because I didn't turn from it. He thought I'd turn you back into a killer by being around. He wanted me to give you space to sort out your mind yourself,"

"And look what happened! I nearly killed Mac myself!" Tori hissed,

"But you didn't,"

"You didn't kill the Joker either," Tori stated,

"But I didn't stop,"

"…I don't even know if I'll stop myself—what if I can't?"

"Bruce will teach you how. I was lucky enough to have Ducra, who taught me not to be vengeful and spiteful with my killing, though she still taught me to kill. He'll help you not kill at all,"

"What if I snap again?"

"I'm not saying it will be easy. Everyone will be there for you every step of the way. And if you do snap, they'll guide you back to where you were before,"

"What about you…will you be there for me?" Tori asked, she was afraid this was his way of breaking up with her…she might very well snap again especially if he was breaking up with her on _prom night._ She was probably over-reacting, but you never know,

"I'll be there for you too. I'll try to lend a hand in the no killing teaching…but I'm not the best at that myself," Tori gave Jason a half-smile,

"As long as you're with me I'm fine," she said,

"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Jason said cracking an even wider smile than before, "Ha! I quoted it right!"

"Give the man a reward," Tori said, "Two tries was all it took," Jason mock glared her before frowning again,

"We never really discussed the whole killing thing before did we?" he asked,

"What do you mean?"

"Me…killing. Before you lost your memory, we never discussed how you felt about it…we kind of avoided it,"

"It might not always sit right with me—but I think I understand it more than before. It's a part of who you are and it's something I can't change. It's not right yet at the same time it's sometimes justifiable. I can't change that aspect of you anymore than I can change the color of your eyes," Tori said,

"…would you have said that before everything happened? Before you became a Talon and before you disappeared?" Jason asked, they were still dancing, the song slow and calm,

"I'm not that girl anymore Jason. I can't say what I would say anymore because so much has changed," Jason nodded,

"I see," was all he said,

"But there's one thing that hasn't changed," Tori said,

"And what's that?" Jason asked,

"How much I love you," she said, flushing slightly as she did before leaning forwards and kissing him. They kissed for a while, only stopping when the music changed yet again to a loud shouty song that caused Tori's ears to ring. She pressed her hands to them, grimacing. Talon hearing was a lot like super-hearing, and it sucked. Looking over at the DJ with mild irritation Jason leaned close to Tori's covered ear and whispered,

"Want to get out of here?"

"With pleasure," Tori replied bunching up her skirts as he grabbed her hand and started for the exit. Once outside they ran to Jason's bike and sped away and over the bridge to Jason's safe house.

Once there they made out again, Tori was on a giddy high until his hands brushed her back. She stumbled away heart pounding loudly and trying to calm herself with a deep breath,

"Toria, what's wrong?" Jason asked. Tori shook her head and bit her lip before letting out a bitter laugh,

"I…well—it's my back," she said, wringing her hands together. Jason frowned,

"Is it hurting you?"

"No…it's just…I don't know…I'm self conscious I guess," Jason's eyes widened in realization before he chuckled. Tori narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to snap at him for doing so, only to snap her mouth shut as he pulled his suit jacket and shirt off to reveal his bare, muscled torso,

"We are the people you should feel the least self conscious around," Jason said, gesturing to his numerous array of scars. Slashes and holes, jagged cuts and thin lines criss-crossed his chest. Tori found herself moving forward to run a hand along them. Jason caught her hand as she did so, right over his heart before turning it over and slowly pulling the glove off, "You don't need to hide yourself around me," he said as the swirling lines of black on her hand were revealed. Tori didn't know what to say. She was so used to hiding because of what others would think about the scars on her back and the swirling black veins on her hands, she was afraid of what conclusions they'd jump to. But her family knew…Jason knew…and Tori agreed, maybe she did have to hide from society…but not from them. Maybe one day she wouldn't have to hide at all.

Gently she removed her hand from his and pulled off the other glove…the one she usually preferred remained because of the ugly hideous brand on the inside of her palm. Marking her with the symbol of the Court of Owls. She didn't remember them doing it. The marking had occurred when she had been the mindless killer the Talons wanted and it had not registered on her radar until afterwards. It was the only one of her scars that she hated so viciously. Every Talon had it and it just pinned her as one of them. Jason didn't say anything for a moment, but took both her hands in his. He traced his thumb over the mark, sending shivers up her arm,

"Scars are tattoos but with better stories," he said, with a crooked smile, "Stories of courage, and strength and will,"

"And change," Tori whispered,

"And I think you're the best story of them all,"

"Oh really. Does that work on every girl?" Tori asked, throwing him a wry smile,

"Just the ones with death wishes on Tuesdays," Jason joked back. Tori was still chuckling even as he kissed her. And when he placed his arms gently around her waist, hands resting lightly on the small of her back, she didn't pull away. Like how it was so many nights ago, it was just them and the starry night of the Gotham sky.

A/N: You guys knew Jason would show, he isn't like that...at least in my opinion he isn't like that to the person he's romantically involved with.

Okay, that last implied bit could be considered 'action' if ya know what I mean ;)

Didn't research anything about PTSD or Social Anxiety. I just put that in there because Tim was being Tim and rationalizing why Tori shouldn't worry whether she has something like those because she wasn't tested or diagnosed yet.

My mom always tells me that line: Scars are tattoos but with better stories whenever I complain about my surgical scars. And it's something I take to heart because it's true. I put that in there because I thought it had a positive message or state of mind towards things that are bad and difficult and sad in life.

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	39. Chapter 39

A/N: I wanted to put in a link to show you the inspiration for Tori's dress...but it got messed up last time so I will just put in what you should type into the search thing if you want to see the dress. If not, ignore this:

Captivating flat simple flower blue organza taffeta floor length prom dress long prom dresses

it's just some dress I found online and thought was super pretty.

Here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 39

Tori woke, yet again, to the sound of buzzing. Tori ignored it again, just like last time. Besides, the infernal device was somewhere on the ground and she was on the side of the bed that was up against the wall. She instead rolled closer to Jason's side and burrowed further next to him as he wrapped his arm around her with a muffled groan,

"Who is calling at this ungodly hour?" he mumbled gruffly,

"Dunno, don' care," Tori said yawning, putting her head on his shoulder and settling down for another hour or two of sleep…only to be woken again by the sound of buzzing,

"Okay, from now on you are not allowed to bring your phone to my safe house," Jason said. Tori rolled her eyes as she lifted herself up, cramming her elbow—not purposely of course—into his chest as she did so, earning a muffled 'oof!' from Jason. Tori had to actually worm herself over Jason and then walk her hands along the floor to reach her phone. Pulling herself back up she sat criss-cross on the bed and answered the phone, returning Jason's glare with a sweet innocent smile,

"Hello?" she asked,

"Do you know what time it is?" Stephanie asked, her voice stressed and angry,

"Is this going to be a regular thing whenever I spend the night with Jason?" Tori asked, "Because I really don't appreciate it,"

"Do you want to _graduate?"_ Stephanie asked, causing Tori's mouth to fall open and her eyes to widen,

"Oh shit!" she said, scrambling to her feet still on the bed,

"Wha—ow! _Shit_ Tori!" Jason started to say but was cut off by Tori stepping on him to get off the bed,

"I can actually graduate?" she asked her friend as she ran to the bathroom,

"Yeah, the school called last night and told which you would have known had you actually gone _home_ last night!"

"Give me ten minutes,"

"Well since graduation starts in fifteen minutes, that's all you're getting,"

"I know, I know, I suck!" Tori said before saying a hurried goodbye and jumping into the shower for the shortest shower of all time.

When she got out she hurried back to the bedroom area of the loft with only her hair in a towel…Jason's her boyfriend, he's seen everything already it so didn't matter. Said boyfriend was just finishing buttoning his fancy jacket for the graduation,

"You're coming?" she asked, momentarily stunned,

"Well yeah, my girlfriend is graduating and so is my adopted brother. Of course I'm going. Although I'd have to be in the way back where no one can see me—,"

"—Okay great…clothes…I need clothes. I can't go in my prom dress!"

"Here," Jason said, tossing her some things from his dresser. She smiled and quickly put them on. Super big and sloppy, but she was wearing graduation robes so it didn't matter. She then dragged a brush rapidly through her wet hair before grabbing Jason by the arm and racing out of the warehouse,

"We need to go, go, go!" she said, "Go through all the red lights if you have to!"  
"Whoa, I am not a regenerative undead assassin. I will _try_ not to get stopped by any red lights," Jason said as they reached his motorcycle. Tori glared at him through her helmet, "Okay, I'm going! Yeesh, is it your time of month or something?" he muttered to himself,

" _What_ was that?" Tori asked,

"Nothing!" Jason said as he revved the engine.

* * *

They made it with four minutes to spare. Jason nearly got ticketed twice and almost hit an old lady who was crossing the street, but they made it. When they arrived they found Tim, Steph, Dick, Damian and Barbara all standing at the entrance looking for them,

"Hey! I'm here!" Tori said, tossing her still wet and windblown hair over her shoulder as she and Jason marched up to the rest of them, "Where's Bruce?" They all stared at the two of them before Dick finally responded,

"Um…He went to help Alfred park, they should be here soon," Stephanie looked ready to tear Tori to shreds,

"You're wearing a _random T-shirt and cargo pants_ to _graduation!?"_

"Oh shush, do you have my robe or not?" Tori asked. Steph huffed out a breath and handed her the robe. Tim who had been glaring at Jason finally glanced over at Tori only to do a double take,

"Wait…are you wearing his clothes!?" he asked. Tori and Jason glanced at each other before Tori answered,

"Um…yes?" she said.

When Bruce and Alfred showed up, they found Dick trying to pry Tim's hands from around Jason's neck, who was laughing at his 'little brother's' antics. Tori stood a little ways away with the girls, and Damian who was taking no part in his brothers' idiocy, finally dressed in her graduation gown, her hand placed on her forehead in embarrassment. Bruce, who separated the boys with one dark look, turned to Tori,

"Do I even want to know?"

"Nope, no you don't," Tori said, flushing slightly. After a ten minute delay to the starting of the graduation due to a mic issue, everyone headed to their seats.

The speeches started and the long talk about everything they've accomplished, the valedictorian's speech and some other stuff in between all blurred into one blotch of Tori's thoughts. Her mind was on the past, something she really shouldn't be thinking about but it was also something that didn't really concern her anymore. At least not so much as it had before. Sure, there was a part of her she'd always fear, but with Bruce'e help, and the rest of her family's help, she wouldn't need to fear that portion of who she was. Tori didn't know whether she'd kill again, and she didn't want to…but she was a long way from being in control of the dark methods she'd learned over those three long months.

Finally, finally, the diplomas were being handed out. Gotham Academy had this weird tradition where they called out the last names in reverse alphabetic order. No one remembers what year started it, but that tradition had stuck with the school for a long time. Tori would be one of the last of her friends, which was a surprisingly small group that consisted of Stephanie, her brother and one other person, to receive her diploma. But that was okay. Hopefully nothing wrong will happen in the time it took for her to walk to the stage and get the stupid piece of paper that she'd spent one hundred-thirteen thousand-eight hundred and eighty hours of her life for…plus the handshake, you can't forget the handshake. That type of dedication deserved a super large check…but beggars can't be choosers.

Her excitement peaked when she saw Jenna walk up for her diploma. A few more names and Tim went up for his. Finally the kid next to her got up and Tori readied herself to walk up to the podium and not fall on her face…she afterall had not been to the rehearsal. Tori's name was called and she marched up the stairs of the stage and took the document and shook her principal's hand. She then marched over and got her picture with it…apparently that was a thing. Tori took her seat again and waited before clapping for Stephanie who went a few names after her. Finally they moved the tassel to the other side of the cap and after the principal announced their class, tossed the hats in the air.

After finally finding her cap, she made her way back to her family. Stephanie went to find her mother, but would join them at the manor for a mini-graduation party. Jason had to leave for some reason, but that didn't bother Tori. He could do what he wanted, it was probably some important mission he had to do with Roy and Kori. Dick gave her a big hug that swept her off her feet and she got a much gentler one from Alfred,

"I know everyone in this family is not one for pictures, but may I?" the butler asked, brandishing a camera. It sounded like a question but was secretly a demand. Tori and Tim sighed but posed for a photo,

"It's funny," Barbara said as they all headed for the car, "You both grew up in the same school and you are both going to the same college,"

"Half that time we didn't even know we were siblings. Besides, Gotham U is in the heart of the city. We'd be able to help in a heartbeat," Tim said,

"Although…Liam is going to be attending," Tori said glumly,

"What, too much familial love?" Dick asked tugging on a strand of her hair lightly, Tori mini-glared him before replying,

"That's not the problem, it's just that I wanted him to stay away from Gotham. It's not really safe for them here…especially with the Talons still lurking in the shadows,"

"What's even stopping them from going after them in London?" Barbara asked, suddenly worried,

"Oh, they actually can't leave Gotham technically," Tori said diplomatically, "They have a sort of treaty with other assassin guilds. The Talons stay out of other countries, the other guilds stay out of Gotham,"

"So…it's like the Talons and assassins in general have their own secret government separate from the Owls, huh?" Dick asked,

"I guess they do," Tori said, "I never thought of it like that,"

"Let's not talk about that anymore," Bruce said, "It's a time of celebration and everyone deserves a chance to enjoy it,"

"I agree. It's time to have fun and enjoy the summer," Tori said, "Especially since we'll be busy soon after the mini party," Bruce nodded in agreement, a sly smile forming,

"We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

A/N: Second to last Chapter! Final chapter tomorrow! This worked out perfectly because then I'll have a week before I post the third part of Tori's story. I will be posting the first two chapters because it's the start of a new story and that's just what I do. Hope you've enjoyed this story!

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	40. Chapter 40Epilogue

A/N: This is it...the finale. The Epilogue...I can't believe I made it this far...I've never loved writing as much as I do now. I didn't even think people would like this plot at all. But I've been getting some fantastic reviews and they just make my day. I've subtly put pieces of myself into the characters of this story, as many writers do without really realizing it, specifically things my parents have said to me or quoted for me so the fact that people love this story and can even see a bit of my character through my writing is incredible.

I didn't mean for this to be long, but my fingers just kept going. Thank you readers, I can't wait to write more for you guys! Without further ado (is that how you spell that saying?), the last chapter of _Things to Understand_.

(just a note that I forgot to put in before: the quote Bruce said to Tori came from Alexis Carrel, a French surgeon and biologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1912)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

PS: the epilogue may seem a bit confusing at first because the perspective isn't from any of the characters you've heard from as of yet. Stay with it, you'll understand by the end...[or not]...I hope you will :)

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Chapter: 40  
Epilogue

The guard stood behind the couch of the living room in the penthouse high above the city, actually right by the doorway. His boss was present and he couldn't be seen slacking. Sweat beaded at his temples as the muffled sounds of pain echoed through the clear tube in the back of the room. How had he gotten himself into this mess? All he wanted was a job that made a difference…and this is what he gets? It wasn't even the kid in the tube that freaked him out the most—that just made him angry, but there was nothing he could do because it was his head on the line. What freaked him out the most was the swirling portal type thing the kid was being forced to create. He had no idea what was going on, but it was sketchy as hell and he had no way out.

The news, which his boss had been watching, changed to a new story. On it showed a very familiar man in a lab coat being dragged off of a rooftop in handcuffs. A picture of a familiar girl—one who had been on the news countless times since the end of last summer—with dark brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. It was a face everyone in this gig knew well. The boss made a tut-tutting noise before standing and sighing,

"Well that's unfortunate," he said. The guard said nothing…he was pretty sure the guy wasn't talking to him. The boss then turned his pale green eyes on him… _now_ he was talking to him, "You. Release the boy. We don't need him any longer,"

"Um…what do you mean?"

"Oh, and call our partners on the other side. Tell them the deal is off,"

"You mean the partners on the other side of that portal thing?" the guard asked, pointing his gun at the weird ass portal thing,

"Yes, of course that's what I meant. Now shut off the damn machine before they come over and demand the soldiers that we don't have to offer them,"

"Right away sir," the guard said, turning off the machine as he had been instructed before. The kid inside fell to his knees exhausted,

"I don't know why I even agreed to this nonsense plan," his boss considered, oblivious to the guards obvious discomfort in this whole shenanigan, "I thought that because it was myself…there was no way it could backfire. These kids were innocent and Mac was a madman. I do not usually ally myself with fools like him. But the me from through that portal created by this kid said Mac Miles would create a new race of superhumans, one I can gain money from if I sent them to the other world. I thought, why not! It wouldn't be _my_ problem once they're gone—but I cannot go through with this. Not while Mac is in jail and the kids are gone. Better to shut down this project before they come through demanding answers,"

"That…thing the kid was creating, it goes to another world?" the guard asked,

"Yes. Where else did you think it went?"

"And you met another _you?"_

"Yes. An overly ambitious me," he said bitterly,

"What will they do now that they don't have their…um…soldiers?" the guard asked. His boss shrugged,

"They'll simply have to make their own arsenal of weapons," he said,

"What about the kid?" The guard asked, concerned for the poor guy. The bossman glanced at him with cold calculating eyes,

"Kill him. He knows of my assistance in Mac's experiments. I funded him when the Court refused to and I kept the scientist hidden from them as well. They only knew he was in Gotham, not where he was specifically. I kept the area cold so they could not interfere,"

"Sir?" he asked, "Are you sure? He's just a—,"

"-Finish that sentence and you will join him. Get rid of the boy and then dispose of this machine. I have a meeting in the morning and I can't afford to be tired or worried for it because you failed to do as I said," the guard nodded, opening the tube and grabbing the boy by the arm,

"Yes Mr. Luthor," he said gruffly,

"Atta boy," Lex said, smiling charmingly before heading for his room. The guard dragged the boy out of the room and to the stairs leading to the roof. The kid was mercifully silent. He could not believe what he was about to do…he didn't think he could do it. He thought of his own family…the ones he'd do anything to see and talk to about all the shit that's been going down here. The plan Lex Luthor once thought could work. Lex had assisted in funding and creating a superhuman army the Justice League couldn't fight for another world and be paid by the villains in the 'other' world who hired him.

The guard knew bad news when he saw and heard it. He should have suspected from the beginning when he had just been a rookie and not allowed on any of the upper floors. But he learned fast, everyone in his family learned fast. It was what they did best and because of that he moved up the ranks fast. He was promoted to personal guard duty. They rotated shifts and finally it was his turn for the first time since getting the promotion. He was to follow and protect the boss—but he had not been prepared for the machine and the kid.

They finally got to the roof and the guard dragged the kid close to the edge. The light summer night air ruffled his hair, the kid blinked warily at him. His eyes wide and scared. He couldn't be more than thirteen years old,

"You're gonna kill me aren't you?" the kid asked, "He said to,"

"You can teleport right? That's why they chose you for the machine thing?" the guard asked,

"Y-yeah," he replied,

"Then you are going to teleport yourself the hell away from here. I don't care where and I don't want to know. They have a way of getting that information from your mind here, I've seen it. You're going to get yourself somewhere safe and no matter what you are not going to get caught by anyone here. When you think you're safe, call this number. Say 'hominem cum sarcinulis suis liberata est.' That means the traveller is free in Latin. I've written it down here. Then you hang up and run again. Run home if you can. Just get away and never come back to Metropolis again,"

"Y-you're...you're _letting me go?"_ the kid asked shock and relief flooding his expression,

"Of course I am. They did horrible things to you…I've just realized the shit this man's done to my family…yet there was nothing I could do from my situation until now. I am letting you go because it is the right thing to do. I'm going to learn all I can about this 'plan' and what it was going to mean for us. Then I'll tell the authorities and stop this once and for all,"

"Who _are_ you?" the boy asked,

"I'm Grant Crowne. Now Go!" The boy turned and vanished with only a muted popping sound to prove he had been there. Grant stood on the rooftop, looking out over Metropolis. His real job has only just begun.

He had a lot of work to do.

THE END...FOR NOW...

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A/N: Welllll Grant's been busy...and what world did that portal lead to? How the hell was that possible and how did Mac even get to Tori's world in the first place to tell Luthor of his 'partners'' plan? You'll have to wait until next Monday to find that out.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Things I'd like to know:

Do you guys like this idea?

Do you hate this idea?

Do you like the idea of a Crossover(it will NOT be our world...I don't really like fanfictions that do that...though I am guilty of writing one back before when I was new at this kind of writing) for the next part of this story?

[it might be a little late for an opinion on this one because I've already started writing it...]

Are you super pissed at Grant for not even telling his siblings what he's been doing?/Are you pissed at him for somehow getting coerced into working for the man who funded the scientist who experiment on her?

I'd really like to know you're thoughts and feelings for this because as of now I can't really change the direction I've gone...but while I write the next part of the story, and those of you who chose to read it; read it, I can do spin-offs/ one shots without the crossover schematic until the story is over(for both those who want to read the next part and those who do not) and until I decide if I want to do a fourth installment of the main plot. This is all for the future because I like to plan far ahead in advance...so...please please _please_ let me know. I want to hear everyone's opinion EVERYONE'S! :)

Thanks again!


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